TalkScams Team · Educational guide · Reviewed 2026-11-07
Sent cryptocurrency to a suspected investment scam?
Cryptocurrency payments may be difficult or impossible to reverse. Report the transaction promptly and protect accounts; do not pay anyone who promises guaranteed fund recovery.
What to do now
- Stop sending money, including alleged tax, unlocking, withdrawal and tracing fees. Save transaction hashes, wallet addresses, screenshots and conversations.
- Contact the cryptocurrency exchange or payment provider you used. Report suspected fraud and ask about any available account safeguards; recovery is not assured.
- If you shared exchange passwords, API keys, seed phrases or a device login, secure the accounts from a trusted device immediately.
Follow-up checks and reporting
- File a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, where relevant, with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
- Review remaining accounts for unauthorized transactions and consider additional credential or wallet-security changes with trusted technical guidance.
- Ignore unsolicited recovery services, social-media messages and paid tracing offers; many are secondary scams.
Watch for a follow-up scam
- A dashboard shows profits but withdrawals require escalating deposits.
- A stranger offers to hack back or recover funds in exchange for a payment.
Original source: FTC — What To Do if You Were Scammed
Educational information only. No guarantee of recovery.