To report a crypto scam, file with three federal agencies: the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, and the SEC through its online Tips, Complaints, and Referrals portal. Each one plays a different role. The FTC tracks deceptive practices and feeds complaints into a database law enforcement uses to spot patterns. The FBI investigates the underlying federal crimes. The SEC handles fraud involving investments or securities. Filing with all three raises the odds your complaint reaches investigators who can act on it, and reporting quickly gives them a chance to trace funds on the blockchain before scammers move them again.
Collect Your Evidence First
Every federal form asks for transaction-level detail. Pulling it together before you start filing makes each report stronger and saves you from stopping mid-form to hunt for information.
The single most important item is the transaction hash, sometimes called a TXID. It is the string of letters and numbers that identifies your transfer on the blockchain. Also record the destination wallet address, the exact date and time of each transaction, and the cryptocurrency involved (Bitcoin, Ethereum, a stablecoin, and so on).
Save every communication with the scammer. Email threads with full headers, social media direct messages, and chat logs from Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp all matter. For Telegram, capture the username and any visible chat ID. For Discord, note the channel name and message IDs. Put everything in chronological order so an investigator can follow the scam from first contact through the final payment.
If you sent funds from a centralized exchange like Coinbase or Kraken, download your account’s transaction history. If you used a self-custody wallet, pull the same information from a blockchain explorer. Free tools like Ethplorer for Ethereum-based tokens or any Bitcoin block explorer let you look up your hash and see where the funds moved next. Investigators specifically ask for this on-chain trail.
File a Report With the FTC
Go to reportfraud.ftc.gov and work through the prompts. The form asks you to pick a fraud category, describe what happened in your own words, provide the scammer’s contact information, and list your loss. Include the wallet addresses and transaction hashes you collected. When you submit, the FTC generates a confirmation page. Save it.
The FTC does not investigate individual complaints the way the FBI does. Your report feeds the Consumer Sentinel Network, a database hundreds of law enforcement agencies use to identify patterns and build cases. When enough complaints point to the same operation, the FTC can bring civil enforcement actions to stop the conduct and seek refunds for victims.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. 45 – Unfair Methods of Competition Unlawful Your complaint counts even if you never hear back.
File a Complaint With the FBI’s IC3
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov has a dedicated cryptocurrency complaint category. After accepting the terms, you complete a form that asks for wallet addresses, transaction hashes, amounts, the type of crypto, and the date and time of each transaction.2FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. Cryptocurrency You can also describe how you met the scammer, which platforms you used to communicate, and any websites or phone numbers involved.
On submission, the portal issues an official complaint number. Save it right away. It is your reference for any later contact with the FBI. IC3 encourages victims to file regardless of loss amount.3FBI. FBI Releases Annual Internet Crime Report Analysts aggregate complaints to identify larger operations, and if your case connects to an active investigation, a field office may contact you for more detail. If the loss is substantial, reach out to your nearest FBI field office directly as well.
When you describe the scam, name the method the scammer used: a fake website, a phishing link, remote-access software, malware, an impersonated recruiter, a romance approach. That detail helps the FBI classify the crime under the right statutes, including federal wire fraud and, when the scammer got into your device or accounts, the federal computer fraud statute.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S.C. 1343 – Fraud by Wire, Radio, or Television5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S.C. 1030 – Fraud and Related Activity in Connection With Computers
File a Tip With the SEC
If the scam was pitched as an investment (someone promised returns, sold tokens as an investment product, or ran what looks like a Ponzi scheme) file with the SEC. Use the online Tips, Complaints, and Referrals (TCR) portal. The form asks you to identify the type of investment, describe the conduct, and provide the names and contact information of the people or entities involved.6U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Form TCR Tip, Complaint or Referral
The SEC recommends listing the amount you invested separately from any claimed profit or loss, attaching copies of marketing materials and communications, and naming other people who may have been harmed.7U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Preparing a Quality Tip, Complaint, or Referral You receive a confirmation receipt with a submission number.8U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Information About Submitting a Whistleblower Tip Download or print it; that number is your only way to reference the complaint later.
The SEC does not usually give status updates on individual tips. Staff review the submission to decide whether the conduct violates federal securities laws. If they open an investigation, they may contact you for documents or sworn testimony. If they do not, your report still sits in the SEC’s database and can support future action against the same actors.
When to File With the CFTC Instead
Not every crypto scam involves a security. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has authority over commodity fraud, and federal regulators have treated Bitcoin and other digital assets as commodities in enforcement actions. If your case involved futures contracts, options, leveraged trading, or a misrepresented commodity transaction, the CFTC is the right agency.
File a general complaint at cftc.gov/complaint or call 866-366-2382.9CFTC. Submit a Tip The SEC and CFTC have overlapping jurisdiction over some digital assets, so if you are uncertain which one covers your situation, filing with both is reasonable.
Report to the Exchange That Held the Funds
If the scammer’s wallet lives on a centralized exchange, or if you sent your crypto from your own exchange account, report the fraud to that platform’s support team. Look for “Report Abuse,” “Report a Scam,” or a security contact in the help center. Upload the federal complaint numbers you already have, along with the transaction hashes and wallet addresses involved.
Exchanges can freeze accounts tied to fraud and blacklist wallet addresses so scammers cannot cash out. They usually act on reports backed by a law enforcement complaint or legal process such as a subpoena. Handing the compliance team your FTC, IC3, or SEC complaint numbers links your report to an official investigation and speeds up the review. Blockchain transactions that have already confirmed cannot be reversed, but catching funds before they leave the platform is one of the few ways to prevent further loss.
What You Can Recover, and How
Reporting is the first step; recovery is a separate and slower process. Two paths exist, and neither is guaranteed.
When federal investigators seize crypto from scammers, victims can petition to receive some of it back. The Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture Program has returned more than $12 billion to victims since 2000.10U.S. Department of Justice. Victims You file a petition for remission or restoration online or in writing. It must describe your interest in the property, include supporting documentation, and be signed under oath or as an unsworn statement under penalty of perjury. The deadline is typically 30 days from the last date of publication on forfeiture.gov or the date stated in your personal notice letter, whichever applies.11Forfeiture.gov. Petition Information Recovery depends on whether the government seizes assets tied to your scam and whether those assets hold enough value to distribute. Many cases result in partial recovery at best. The DOJ never charges a fee to participate in the remission process; any request for one is a scam.
Separately, you may be able to deduct the loss on your federal tax return if the conduct qualifies as theft under your state’s laws, you have no reasonable prospect of recovery, and the loss came from a transaction you entered into for profit.12Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 4684 Most crypto investment scams meet all three. The deduction goes on IRS Form 4684, Section B, and is based on your basis in the stolen crypto (what you paid), not its market value at the time of the theft. A separate safe harbor under Revenue Procedure 2009-20 offers a simpler calculation for Ponzi scheme losses on Section C.13Internal Revenue Service. Revenue Procedure 2009-20 The rules are complex enough that a tax professional is worth the fee.
Watch Out for Recovery Scams
Once you have been defrauded, you become a target for a second wave of scammers who claim they can get your money back for a fee. The FBI issued a public warning in 2025 about fictitious law firms and “crypto recovery specialists” who work this angle, often using contact information from the original scam.14FBI. Fictitious Law Firms Targeting Cryptocurrency Scam Victims
Warning signs:
- Upfront fees framed as taxes, insurance bonds, or processing charges before your “recovered” funds can be released.
- Claims of affiliation with or authorization by a federal agency. No law firm is an official partner of any U.S. government agency.14FBI. Fictitious Law Firms Targeting Cryptocurrency Scam Victims
- Requests for your private keys or seed phrases. No legitimate service needs them.
- Requests for payment in crypto or gift cards. The government does not charge for law enforcement services and never asks for either.14FBI. Fictitious Law Firms Targeting Cryptocurrency Scam Victims
- Suspicious knowledge of exact amounts and dates from your original transactions, suggesting a connection to the first scam.
- Requests to install screen-sharing or remote-access software so they can “help.”
Anyone guaranteeing recovery, pushing you to act fast, or telling you not to talk to law enforcement is running a scam. If it happens, file a fresh complaint with IC3.