Use the reporting channel that matches the suspected conduct. Report cyber-enabled cryptocurrency fraud through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3); send suspected public-corruption information to the FBI; use FinCEN’s whistleblower program for potential Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) or specified sanctions violations; and report tax-law violations to the IRS. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or local police.
This guide covers U.S. federal routes. Filing a report supplies information for government review; it does not by itself prove wrongdoing, guarantee an investigation, preserve confidentiality, produce an award, or recover cryptocurrency.
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Choose the route that fits what you suspect
“Crypto-related corruption” and “money laundering” can describe different conduct. A victim of an online investment scam, a witness who believes a public official accepted cryptocurrency, and an employee who has information about a financial institution’s BSA violations may need different channels. The agencies do not use one interchangeable complaint form.
| What you know or suspect | Primary U.S. route | What the route is for |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber-enabled cryptocurrency fraud, theft, or an online scam | FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Complaints about internet-enabled crime involving cryptocurrency. IC3 says a person may submit a complaint even when no financial loss occurred. |
| Possible bribery, kickbacks, misuse of office, or other public corruption | FBI tip or FBI contact route listed by the Department of Justice | Information about suspected federal crimes, including public corruption. The DOJ reporting page identifies the FBI as the route for fraud or public-corruption reports. |
| Potential BSA violations or specified sanctions-related violations | FinCEN whistleblower submission program | Tips concerning potential violations within FinCEN’s whistleblower program. Read the program’s current terms to determine eligibility and submission requirements. |
| Suspected tax-law violations | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Tax fraud and other tax-law concerns. IRS guidance directs suspected cryptocurrency or other money laundering and wire fraud to FinCEN. |
| An immediate threat to a person or property | 911 or local police | Emergency response. Do not wait for an online complaint process when someone faces immediate danger. |
More than one route can be appropriate. For example, a person defrauded through a fake crypto investment may file an IC3 complaint and notify the bank, exchange, or other service involved. Someone who witnessed a public official’s suspected crypto bribe may contact the FBI. A person with specific information about a financial institution’s possible BSA violations may review FinCEN’s whistleblower process. There is no single mandatory sequence for every fact pattern.
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Where to report each type of suspected conduct
Cyber-enabled crypto fraud: IC3
IC3 is the FBI’s online intake for internet crime. Its cryptocurrency guidance covers scams and other cyber-enabled crimes involving digital assets. Use the IC3 complaint form and describe the online contact, the transaction, and the people or services involved.
The FBI specifically encourages complaints even when no money was lost. A report can therefore be useful when someone tried to defraud you, when you stopped a transfer in time, or when you observed a cryptocurrency crime affecting another person. The FBI also identifies a local FBI field office as another reporting route; use the FBI’s official contact information if an in-person or direct-office report is more appropriate.
Suspected public corruption: FBI
Public corruption can include a public official’s alleged use of office for personal gain, bribery, kickbacks, or manipulation of an official action. If cryptocurrency appears in the conduct, explain exactly how: for example, a wallet controlled by an intermediary, a transfer made after an official decision, or a demand for digital assets in exchange for access or influence.
The Department of Justice’s Report a Crime or Submit a Complaint page directs fraud and public-corruption reports to the FBI. Submit a tip through the FBI’s channel identified there, or contact the appropriate FBI field office. Keep the account factual and separate what you personally saw from conclusions about motive or legality.
Potential BSA or specified sanctions violations: FinCEN
FinCEN’s Submitting a Tip page describes its whistleblower submission program for information about potential Bank Secrecy Act violations and specified sanctions-related violations. This is a whistleblower program, not a replacement for a victim’s IC3 complaint.
Read the current FinCEN instructions before submitting. They control the information requested, eligibility rules, and any requirements for an award or other treatment. Do not assume that every crypto transaction, suspicious exchange account, or personal loss qualifies for the program. If your concern is a cyber scam or theft, report that crime to IC3 as well when appropriate.
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Tax-law violations: IRS, with FinCEN for laundering or wire fraud
Use the IRS page for suspected tax fraud or other violations of tax law, such as unreported taxable cryptocurrency income or false deductions. The IRS guidance also says suspected cryptocurrency or other money laundering and wire fraud should be reported to FinCEN. That division matters: the IRS handles the tax issue, while FinCEN is the designated route for the laundering or wire-fraud information described in the guidance.
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If a person is being threatened, held, assaulted, or is at immediate risk, call 911 or local police. An online federal report is not an emergency dispatch service. Preserve digital evidence only when doing so does not put anyone in danger.
What to gather before filing
Do not postpone a report while trying to reconstruct every blockchain movement. FBI guidance says to report even when you lack transaction information. Submit what you know, label uncertainty clearly, and add material details as the reporting channel allows.
Build a short, dated timeline
Start with the first contact and list each material event in UTC or the time zone shown by the platform:
- When and how the person or organization contacted you (email, messaging app, social platform, phone, in person).
- Promises, demands, instructions, or representations made.
- Each transfer, attempted transfer, account closure, threat, or request for additional funds.
- When you contacted a bank, exchange, employer, regulator, or police agency and what happened.
Use exact dates and times where available. If a time is approximate, mark it as approximate instead of presenting it as certain.
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- Cryptocurrency address or addresses involved.
- Asset type and amount, such as bitcoin, ether, or a token.
- Transaction hash or transaction ID.
- Date and time of the transaction.
- Name of the blockchain or network, if known.
- Exchange, bank, wallet provider, payment processor, ATM operator, or other service used.
A wallet address identifies a destination or source on a blockchain; it can receive or send multiple transactions. A transaction hash (or transaction ID) identifies one recorded blockchain transaction. Include both when you have them: the address helps connect activity to an account, while the hash points investigators to a particular transfer. Do not guess either value; copy it exactly.
Identify people, entities, and online infrastructure
- Names, aliases, usernames, phone numbers, email addresses, and account identifiers.
- Websites, domains, application names, social-media profiles, and referral links.
- Company names, public offices, employers, or intermediaries mentioned.
- Bank accounts, exchange account numbers, payment handles, and other service identifiers.
Preserve communications and original records
Save relevant messages, emails, invoices, wallet screenshots, call logs, account statements, advertisements, and web pages. Keep the original files and the devices or accounts on which they were stored when practical. The IC3 complaint form instructs reporters to retain originals of pertinent documents for law enforcement; follow the form’s submission instructions and do not alter or destroy records.
When exporting a chat or screenshot, retain the unedited version and note the date you captured it. A separate working copy can be annotated for clarity, but identify it as a copy. Do not access another person’s account, break a password, or obtain evidence unlawfully.
Write a fact-based explanation
Explain:
- What you personally observed.
- What another person told you or what a document indicates.
- Which conclusions are your inference.
- Why you believe the activity may involve a cybercrime, corruption, laundering, sanctions violation, or tax offense.
- Any known links among the wallets, people, public decisions, companies, or financial services.
This distinction helps an agency evaluate the tip without treating a suspicion as an established fact. You do not need to identify the criminal statute or perform a complete blockchain analysis.
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How to submit an IC3 complaint
- Open the official form. Go to complaint.ic3.gov and follow the current complaint-form instructions.
- Describe the incident. State how contact began, what was requested or promised, and what happened to the funds or attempted funds.
- Enter transaction information. Add addresses, transaction hashes or IDs, asset type, amount, dates, network, and the exchange or service when known. If a field does not apply or information is unavailable, do not invent a value.
- Identify the subjects and services. Include names, aliases, contact details, websites, apps, account identifiers, and any public office or organization involved.
- Attach or reference supporting material as the form permits. Organize files by date and describe what each file shows. Follow the form’s limits and instructions.
- Submit the complaint and retain your originals. Keep the records you supplied and any submission information displayed by the form. Do not expect the filing itself to establish that a crime occurred or to guarantee a response.
IC3 is appropriate for the cyber-enabled crime component. If the same facts involve suspected public corruption, a BSA issue, or a tax violation, use the corresponding agency route rather than assuming IC3 will handle every aspect.
How to report suspected corruption to the FBI
- Identify the official or public function involved. Name the agency, office, contract, permit, case, inspection, grant, or decision connected to the suspected conduct.
- Describe the requested or received benefit. State the cryptocurrency asset, wallet, exchange, intermediary, amount, and timing if known.
- Connect the benefit to an official act. Explain what action, access, favorable treatment, or concealment allegedly followed or was promised. If you do not know the connection, say that plainly.
- Provide the records. Include messages, payment instructions, public records, meeting dates, transaction identifiers, and witness information that you can lawfully share.
- Use the FBI route listed by DOJ. The DOJ reporting page identifies the FBI for fraud and public-corruption reports. Follow its current instructions for submitting a tip or contacting a field office.
Do not confront an alleged official or announce your report if doing so could create a safety risk, destroy evidence, or interfere with an investigation. If you work for an organization, consider its lawful document-preservation and anti-retaliation procedures; obtain independent legal advice when your employment status or privilege is at stake.
How FinCEN’s whistleblower route differs from a crime complaint
FinCEN’s program is aimed at information about potential BSA violations and specified sanctions-related violations. It is not a general “crypto scam recovery” channel and is not a substitute for reporting your own cyber-enabled victimization to IC3.
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Before filing, read FinCEN’s current submission instructions. The page governs what information to provide and explains the program’s rules. Keep a copy of the facts and documents you submit, and do not represent that you qualify for an award unless the applicable rules establish that.
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How tax concerns fit with cryptocurrency laundering reports
A crypto transaction can raise both tax and financial-crime questions. Examples include concealing taxable income, fabricating basis, using false invoices, or routing proceeds through wallets to disguise their source. Report the tax-law aspect through the IRS’s Report tax fraud, a scam or law violation guidance. That guidance routes suspected cryptocurrency or other money laundering and wire fraud to FinCEN.
In your explanation, separate the suspected tax violation from the suspected laundering conduct. State the tax year or filing involved when known, the transaction amounts, and the records supporting your account. Do not label a transaction “laundering” solely because it moved through several wallets; explain the facts that make concealment or illicit proceeds plausible.
If you were targeted by an investment scam
The FBI’s Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud guidance says to stop sending money, report promptly to IC3, and avoid alerting suspected criminals to FBI involvement because that could compromise an investigation.
- Stop payments. Do not send a “tax,” “unlock,” “verification,” or “recovery” payment to obtain a supposed withdrawal.
- Contact the financial service used. Notify your bank, card issuer, exchange, or payment provider through its official channel and ask what account-freezing or fraud-reporting steps remain available.
- Preserve evidence. Save the investment dashboard, chats, wallet addresses, transaction hashes, advertisements, and payment receipts before access disappears.
- File the IC3 complaint. Include attempted transfers and relevant information even if no loss occurred.
- Do not tip off the suspected criminals. Follow the FBI guidance about avoiding contact that could compromise investigative work, while prioritizing your safety.
Recovery scams: the second fraud to avoid
After a crypto loss, you may be contacted by someone claiming to be an investigator, lawyer, hacker, exchange employee, or recovery specialist. The FBI warns against people who claim they can recover lost cryptocurrency. IC3 specifically warns about recovery services that demand an upfront fee and says it does not work with non-law-enforcement entities to recover lost funds or investigate cases.
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- Do not pay an upfront fee, deposit, “gas” charge, or verification amount to release alleged recovered funds.
- Do not provide seed phrases, private keys, one-time codes, or remote access to your device.
- Do not assume a caller is affiliated with the FBI, IC3, FinCEN, the IRS, an exchange, or a court because the caller uses an official-looking logo or case number.
- Use contact details published on the agency or service’s official website rather than a number in an unsolicited message.
What happens after you report
Agencies may use a complaint or tip with other intelligence, refer it to another office, request more information, or take no visible action. A filing is information for assessment, not a finding that a violation occurred. The official pages do not promise that every report will produce an investigation, a public update, an asset seizure, restitution, or a whistleblower award.
Confidentiality also varies. Do not assume that an online complaint is anonymous or that your identity cannot be disclosed. FinCEN whistleblower treatment, eligibility, and any award depend on the program’s current rules. Read the terms of the channel you use and seek advice from a qualified attorney if disclosure, employment retaliation, privilege, or award eligibility is central to your decision.
Keep a dated record of your report, the agencies or services contacted, and any new transaction or communication. If you receive a legitimate follow-up, verify the sender through an independently obtained official contact route before sharing additional sensitive information.
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Reporting from outside the United States
The routes above are U.S.-specific. In another country, contact the national financial-intelligence unit, police, anti-corruption authority, tax authority, or financial regulator that has jurisdiction. Reporting routes, deadlines, confidentiality protections, language requirements, and whistleblower eligibility differ by country. If transactions cross borders, you can report to authorities where you live and where the relevant exchange, victim, official, or conduct is located; explain the locations and dates rather than assuming one agency will coordinate every jurisdiction.
How large is crypto-related fraud reporting?
The FBI IC3’s 2023 Cryptocurrency Report, published in 2024, recorded more than 69,000 public complaints involving financial fraud that used cryptocurrency in 2023. That is a count of complaints received, not a count of unique victims, proven crimes, recovered funds, or public-corruption incidents. The official material does not provide a comparable named statistic for crypto-related public corruption.
Quick Recap
Printable reporting checklist
- Choose the route: IC3 for cyber-enabled crypto crime; FBI for suspected public corruption; FinCEN for potential BSA or specified sanctions violations; IRS for tax-law violations; 911 for immediate danger.
- Write a concise timeline with time zones and approximate dates labeled.
- Copy every wallet address, transaction hash or ID, amount, asset, network, and date exactly as shown.
- List names, aliases, phone numbers, email addresses, usernames, domains, apps, exchanges, banks, and other services.
- Save original messages, screenshots, statements, advertisements, and files; do not alter or destroy them.
- Separate firsthand observations, documents, secondhand accounts, and inferences.
- Report what you know even if transaction details are missing; do not wait for perfect blockchain analysis.
- If you are in an active investment scam, stop sending funds and avoid alerting the suspected criminals to the FBI report.
- Reject anyone demanding an upfront fee or private credentials to recover cryptocurrency.
- Read the current agency instructions and understand that a report does not guarantee an investigation, confidentiality, award, or recovery.
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