I've been scammed in crypto — what do I do right now?

The single most important thing to know: the first hours matter most. Stolen crypto moves quickly, often swept out of the receiving wallet within seconds and pushed through a chain of addresses toward an exchange. The faster the money is documented and reported, the better the odds that an exchange or Tether can freeze what's left.

Here is exactly what to do, in order.

1. Stop the bleeding

   Send nothing more. If you're being told to pay a "fee," "tax," or "verification" charge to withdraw or unlock funds, that is not a real step — it is the next theft. No legitimate platform charges you to release your own money.

2. Preserve the evidence

   Screenshot everything before it disappears: the messages, the website or app, the profile, and every wallet address and transaction hash. Save the amounts and dates, and keep any "account statement" or document they sent — the file itself often carries proof it was faked.

3. Cut off contact

   Stop talking to them. Don't warn them, don't negotiate. If they realize you're onto them, they'll sweep the wallet and vanish faster.

4. Report it officially

   File with the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov, report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and flag the wallet addresses on chainabuse.com. Keep your IC3 complaint number.

5. Get the money traced

   A forensic trace follows the funds on-chain to the exchange they cashed out on — and that exchange holds the scammer's identity documents. That trace, plus your filing, is what law enforcement and exchanges act on.

Why speed matters so much

On public blockchains, every transaction is permanent and visible — which is exactly why tracing works. But the operators know that too. They move funds through intermediate wallets within minutes and cash out at an exchange before a victim has even finished processing what happened. The window to freeze funds at an exchange or with a stablecoin issuer is measured in days, not weeks. Documented early, a case has options. Documented late, the trail is cold and the money is gone.

What a real investigation can and can't do

A legitimate forensic investigation traces the funds, identifies the exchange and freeze targets, and builds the evidence package that law enforcement and exchanges need. What it cannot do is promise your money back. Recovery, when it happens, runs through courts, exchange compliance, and law enforcement — not a technical trick. That's the honest line, and it's the line every credible firm holds.

Blockchain Fraud is a service of UnyKorn LLC (Wyoming). This article is educational information and risk analysis, not legal advice, and does not guarantee the recovery of any funds. Any service guaranteeing recovery, or charging a percentage of recovered funds, is a scam.