I've been scammed. What do I do first?
Take a breath. Follow these six steps in order. Most take a few minutes, and each one improves the chance of a freeze.
1. Stop any more money leaving
- Do not pay anything more, whatever the scammer says about fees, taxes or unlocking your account.
- If a wallet was hacked, move what is left to a new wallet with a new seed phrase.
- If you gave a site permission to spend your tokens, revoke it (see wallet drainers).
- Call your bank if you paid by card or bank transfer.
2. Save the evidence (10 minutes)
Before anything is deleted, take screenshots of:
- Chats, emails and social media profiles of the scammer.
- The website or app they used, including its web address.
- Every payment you sent: amount, date, coin, and the transaction hash.
- Your own wallet address and theirs.
Our evidence checklist shows what police and exchanges ask for.
3. Trace where the money went (free)
Use our free trace. You need your wallet address and one transaction hash. It shows each hop and flags exchanges that may be able to freeze the money.
4. Ask for a freeze, fast
If the trace shows money at an exchange, or held as USDT or USDC, ask that company to freeze it today. See how freeze requests work.
5. Report it to the police
Exchanges and issuers act much faster when there is a police report. See how to report a crypto scam, including in the UAE.
6. Watch out for "recovery" scammers
Victims are often targeted a second time by people who promise to get money back for a fee. Real help never asks for upfront "release" fees. How to spot a recovery scam.
Common questions
Can I get my crypto back?
Sometimes. If the money reaches an exchange or a stablecoin issuer that acts quickly, it can be frozen and later returned through the police or a court. Often it cannot. Anyone who guarantees a recovery is likely running a second scam.
Does this cost anything?
Tracing, alerts and a do-it-yourself freeze letter are free. Optional documents, like a certified report or having us send your letters, have one fixed price shown before you pay. We never charge a fee to release or recover funds.
Should I keep talking to the scammer?
No. Do not send more money for 'taxes', 'fees' or 'unlocking'. Save the messages, then stop replying.