How to Report a Crypto Scam: Where and How to File a Report

Reporting a crypto scam won’t necessarily get your money back, but it helps authorities track scammers and warn others.

Where to Report by Country

Country	Agency	Website
UK	Action Fraud	actionfraud.police.uk
UK	Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)	fca.org.uk
US	FBI IC3	ic3.gov
US	SEC	sec.gov/complaint
US	FTC	reportfraud.ftc.gov
Canada	CAFC	antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca
Australia	ACSC	cyber.gov.au
EU	Europol	europol.europa.eu

What Information to Gather

Information	Why It’s Needed
Wallet address(es)	Track funds on blockchain
Exchange used	Which platform facilitated the scam
Date and time	Timeline of events
Amount lost	Value of the scam
Screenshots	Evidence of communication
Website URLs	Fake site addresses
Social media profiles	Scammer identities
Transaction hashes	Blockchain proof

How to Report

Step 1: Secure Your Accounts

Before reporting:

Move remaining funds to a new wallet
Change passwords on all accounts
Enable 2FA if not already active
Scan your device for malware

Step 2: Contact Your Exchange

What to Do	Why
Freeze account if compromised	Prevent further loss
Report the transaction	Exchange may flag the address
Provide transaction hashes	Evidence for their investigation

Step 3: Report to Authorities

File a report with your country’s relevant agency. Include all evidence.

Step 4: Report on Blockchain

Tool	What It Does
Etherscan	Report address as scam
Chainabuse	Community scam reporting
ScamAdviser	Check and report malicious sites

Platform	How to Report
Twitter/X	Report as scam/fraud
Telegram	Report user/group
Discord	Report to server admin + Discord Trust & Safety
Facebook	Report as scam

What Authorities Can Do

Action	Likelihood
Track wallet addresses	High (blockchain is public)
Flag addresses on exchanges	Medium
Freeze exchange accounts	Low-Medium
Recover funds	Very low
Prosecute scammers	Low (often overseas)

What to Do After Reporting

Do	Don’t
Watch for recovery scams	Pay anyone who promises recovery
Educate others	Feel ashamed
Monitor the wallet address	Expect quick results

Recovery Scam Warning

After you report a scam, you’ll likely be contacted by “recovery specialists” who promise to get your money back for a fee. These are almost always recovery scammers. No one can recover crypto sent to a scammer. Report them too.

Bottom Line

Reporting a crypto scam won’t guarantee recovery, but it’s important. Gather all evidence, report to your country’s fraud agency, flag the address on blockchain explorers, and report social media accounts. Watch for recovery scammers who target victims. Your report may help prevent others from being scammed.