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If you suspect a crypto exchange account or the exchange itself has been compromised, stop responding to unexpected messages, contact the provider through its independently verified official channel, and secure your login and recovery email. Act quickly, but don’t assume every alarming message is genuine or that a report of fraud proves the exchange suffered a breach.
First, work out what may be compromised
These situations can overlap, but they call for different actions:
- Your exchange login: You see unfamiliar activity, withdrawals, changed account details, or can no longer sign in.
- Your email, phone, or device: Someone may be able to intercept account notices, reset your password, or access a session through a compromised device.
- The exchange itself: The provider announces a security incident. Treat breach-specific details as established only when they appear in a verified exchange notice or another reliable source.
Whether funds remain in your account, a withdrawal is pending, or assets have already moved can affect what response options exist. Don’t assume the exchange can freeze or recover funds; ask it what, if anything, it can do in your case.
What to do right away
1. Stop engaging with suspicious contacts
Don’t click links, call numbers, download files, share a login or authentication code, or install remote-access software in response to an unsolicited “account compromised” message. Scammers impersonate exchange staff and use urgency to obtain account or identity information. Find the exchange’s official website or phone number independently and use that route to check your account.
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The FBI’s August 1, 2024 warning about cryptocurrency-exchange impersonation is direct: “If anyone asks for your account log-in information at any point, do not provide it.” Read the FBI/IC3 warning.
Do not move assets to a supposed “safe wallet” because an unexpected caller or message tells you to. Verify the situation with the exchange through its independently located official channel first.
2. Contact the exchange promptly
Open the official app or type the exchange’s known website address yourself. Report the suspected compromise through its official support or case process. Include the approximate time and relevant transaction details, and ask what account protections or transaction-response options are available. You can ask whether the provider can restrict access, review withdrawals, or explain any incident-specific process, but these are questions—not services every exchange is known to offer.
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For a fraudulent crypto payment, the FTC advises: “Contact the cryptocurrency exchange or ATM operator immediately.” Tell the provider the payment was fraudulent and ask whether it can reverse or refund it. The FTC says recovery can be difficult because cryptocurrency payments do not have the same legal protections as credit and debit card payments; it does not guarantee a reversal. FTC: What To Do if You Were Scammed.
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If you can still sign in, use the exchange’s official site or app to make these changes:
- Change the exchange password to a strong, unique password. Change it anywhere else you reused it.
- Sign out of other devices or sessions if the exchange offers that option.
- Enable available two-factor authentication (2FA).
- Check that the recovery email address and phone number on the account are yours.
Secure the email account used for exchange recovery as a priority: an attacker with access to your inbox may be able to request password-reset links for other accounts. Change its password, enable available 2FA, review recovery details and forwarding rules, and use the email provider’s official recovery process if you are locked out. The FTC’s hacked-account guidance supports these account-security steps. FTC: What To Do if Your Online Account Is Hacked.
If you think your phone or computer was accessed, avoid sensitive logins on that device until its security software is up to date and a scan is complete. The FTC recommends updating security software and scanning after a scammer has accessed a device. FTC scam-response guidance.
4. Save evidence
Keep information that may help the exchange or investigators trace what happened. Save exchange notices and case numbers, relevant emails (including full headers when possible), texts, and screenshots. Record:
- Dates and times of suspicious access, messages, and transfers.
- The cryptocurrency type and amount involved.
- Sending and receiving wallet addresses.
- Transaction IDs or hashes.
- Your exchange account details and a clear timeline of events.
Do not alter or delete potentially relevant messages. The FBI/IC3 lists transaction addresses, amount and type, dates and times, and transaction IDs as useful information—and says to report even when transaction data is missing. FBI/IC3 guidance for cryptocurrency scam victims.
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Never post a password, seed phrase, private key, one-time code, or identity document publicly. Share necessary evidence only through an independently verified exchange or government reporting channel.
5. Report the incident
In the United States, the appropriate reporting route depends on what happened. FBI/IC3 says cryptocurrency scam victims can report through IC3 or contact a local FBI field office. The FTC lists the FTC, CFTC, SEC, IC3, and the exchange used to send funds as possible reporting routes for cryptocurrency scams. The CFTC also accepts complaints involving digital assets or derivatives; that does not mean every exchange or token is overseen by the CFTC.
The FBI/IC3 says: “If you do not have transaction information, please still submit a report to the FBI IC3 and provide as much information as you have.” FBI/IC3 victim guidance. For FTC reporting, use ReportFraud.ftc.gov; for CFTC complaints, use the CFTC complaint page. These are U.S. routes; outside the United States, contact the relevant local police, financial regulator, or cybercrime agency.
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If bank or card details were exposed, contact the relevant financial institution promptly. If identity information may have been misused, the CFTC describes options including credit-report fraud alerts and security freezes. CFTC cryptocurrency fraud guidance.
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There is no guaranteed recovery route. Contact the exchange promptly and ask whether it can respond to the specific account or transaction, but do not count on a reversal. The FTC says getting cryptocurrency back can be difficult; the available evidence does not establish that every completed transfer can be reversed or that an exchange can always freeze assets.
Keep your expectations separate from the steps that can still help: report the incident, provide transaction details when available, preserve evidence, and secure any account or recovery method that may remain exposed.
Watch out for recovery scams
After a theft, someone may claim they can retrieve the cryptocurrency in exchange for an upfront “tax,” “unlock fee,” or recovery charge. Treat unsolicited recovery offers with suspicion. The FBI warns that people claiming they can recover stolen cryptocurrency may be running another scam. Don’t pay them, give them remote access, or share wallet credentials, a seed phrase, or further funds. Report suspicious outreach through official channels. FBI/IC3 cryptocurrency scam guidance.
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