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If you suspect a crypto investment scam, stop sending money, preserve the records you already have, and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). IC3 accepts reports even when no money was lost, but it does not accept evidence attachments or investigate cases itself. Use the SEC as an additional route when the facts involve possible securities misconduct, an investment account, or a financial professional; contact local police directly if the situation is urgent. This guide covers U.S. reporting routes.
What to do first if you suspect crypto investment fraud
- Stop payments. Do not send more cryptocurrency, money for supposed taxes or withdrawal charges, or a fee to someone promising to recover your funds. An apparent balance or profit displayed on a platform does not establish that funds are available to withdraw.
- Preserve records. Keep transaction details and communications in their original form where possible. Organize a separate working copy rather than changing the only copy of a message or file.
- Report the incident. Submit a complaint to FBI IC3, including relevant details even if you have not confirmed a financial loss.
- Use other routes when appropriate. Contact the SEC about possible securities or investment-related misconduct. If there is immediate danger or a time-sensitive local issue, contact 911 or local law enforcement directly.
The FBI warns that crypto investment schemes may involve social engineering, fake platforms, manipulated displays of returns, and demands for additional payments before a supposed withdrawal. A victim does not need to establish exactly how a scheme worked before making a report.
What information should you gather before reporting a crypto scam?
Build a concise timeline and collect the identifiers that could help describe the people, accounts, payments, and platforms involved. The FBI and IC3 list the following kinds of information; this is a practical checklist, not a requirement to have every item before filing.
- Crypto transactions: asset type, amount, transaction hash, sending and receiving wallet addresses, date and time, and any exchange or wallet records you can access.
- Other payments: bank, wire, card, or cash records, including recipient names or account details when available.
- People and accounts: names, aliases, phone numbers, email addresses, social-media handles, profile names, and other identifiers used by the people involved.
- Websites and apps: domain names, app names, profile links, and website or IP information if known.
- Timeline: when and how you first made contact; communications about investing; deposits; displayed returns; withdrawal attempts; and requests for additional payments.
- Original records: emails, preferably with full headers; texts and chat transcripts; screenshots; web pages; receipts; and relevant phone records.
- Recovery approaches: details of anyone who later contacted you offering to recover funds, including claimed affiliations, promises, requested fees, and contact information.
In the complaint narrative, explain plainly what happened and who received money, if known. Include the total loss as you understand it and distinguish confirmed payments from amounts shown only on a platform. If a detail is unknown, say so rather than guessing.
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How to report crypto investment fraud to the FBI’s IC3
Use the IC3 complaint form to report suspected internet-enabled crypto fraud. The FBI encourages reports even when there was no financial loss. Include the transaction and contact details you have, along with a clear sequence of events. Do not wait to file solely because you are still gathering records.
IC3 does not accept attachments. Put relevant information or text into the form where appropriate, and keep the underlying records securely in case an agency requests them. IC3 says to save or print your submitted complaint before leaving the confirmation page: “Please save or print a copy of your report before closing this window or navigating away from this page.” It says it will not email or otherwise send an electronic copy afterward.
How to preserve evidence without altering the originals
Keep source records intact where feasible and store them securely. IC3’s examples of potentially relevant records include cryptocurrency and wire receipts, canceled checks and card receipts, emails with complete headers, web pages, hard drive images, network logs, chat transcripts, and phone records. You do not need to buy hardware or use forensic tools simply to make a report.
For easier organization, make a separate working copy of files you need to sort or annotate; avoid changing the only copy of a message, receipt, or other record. Keep a dated timeline alongside the records so you can explain what each item relates to. Since IC3 does not accept uploads, retaining the originals is different from attaching them to the complaint.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWhich reporting route should you use?
| Route | When it may fit | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Internet-enabled crypto fraud and details about transactions, accounts, communications, or the suspected scheme | Complaint intake and possible dissemination to law enforcement or partner agencies; no attachments and no IC3 investigation-status updates |
| SEC Division of Enforcement or Office of Investor Education and Assistance | Possible securities misconduct, or questions or complaints involving an investment, account, or financial professional | A tip or complaint, or investor assistance; whether the matter fits depends on its facts |
| Local police or emergency services | Immediate danger or a matter needing a time-sensitive local response | Contact local authorities directly; call 911 for immediate danger |
The SEC’s Crypto Points of Contact page says tips, complaints, or referrals about possible misconduct or fraud may be submitted to the Division of Enforcement. Its Office of Investor Education and Assistance accepts questions or complaints about investments, accounts, or financial professionals by phone at 1-800-732-0330 or email at [email protected]. The page was last reviewed or updated July 15, 2026. The SEC is an additional route for relevant matters, not a universal reporting authority for every crypto scam.
What happens after you file with IC3?
IC3 analysts review complaints and may share information with law enforcement or partner agencies as appropriate. IC3 does not conduct investigations itself and cannot provide an investigation status. Receiving agencies decide whether to investigate or pursue prosecution. A complaint cannot be canceled; if you need to add information, IC3 says to submit a new complaint and explain that it supplements an earlier one. Do not assume filing will produce a personal response or case update.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you get your crypto back, and should you pay a recovery service?
Be wary of unsolicited calls, messages, or online advertisements claiming that a private company can recover your crypto, especially when they demand an upfront fee or guarantee a result. The FBI warns that recovery operations may disappear after taking a fee, demand additional payments, provide incomplete or inaccurate tracing, or falsely claim a law-enforcement or legal affiliation. Report these contacts along with the original incident.
The FBI says private recovery companies cannot issue seizure orders. Exchanges may freeze accounts under their own internal processes or in response to legal process, and victims may pursue civil litigation. These limits are not proof that recovery is impossible, but they make promises of guaranteed recovery unreliable. Law enforcement does not charge victims to investigate.
What the reported fraud figures do—and do not—show
In its 2025 reporting, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded 61,559 cryptocurrency investment-fraud complaints and $7.228 billion in reported losses. These figures describe complaints received by IC3, not a census of all incidents or a prediction of whether an individual victim will recover money. The same report counted 181,565 complaints and $11.366 billion in losses across all cryptocurrency-related complaint categories; those broader totals are not investment-fraud figures.
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