If you suspect a cryptocurrency scam, preserve the records you already have, then find current official reporting guidance for your location and contact any relevant service provider through a channel you verify independently. Reporting communicates information about a suspected incident; it does not establish that a crime occurred or guarantee investigation, enforcement, or recovery. No single route or procedure can be assumed to apply everywhere.

What cryptocurrency scam reporting can—and cannot—do

A report is an account of an incident sent to an organization that may be positioned to receive information about it. It is not, by itself, a finding that a crime took place. A report also does not guarantee that the recipient will investigate, take enforcement action, respond within a particular period, or recover assets. Those outcomes should not be inferred from submitting information or receiving a confirmation.

Keep distinct the organizations you may contact. Government or law-enforcement channels are separate from exchanges, wallet services, payment providers, and online platforms. A provider might be relevant because its service or account was involved; that notification should not be assumed to replace a report to an official authority. The right combination depends on the circumstances and the instructions for your location.

A scam pattern described in U.S. government guidance involves victims being directed under false pretenses to put cash into a convertible virtual currency kiosk and send virtual currency to a destination controlled by a scammer. The warning concerns who initiated the payment and who controls its destination. A kiosk transaction alone is not evidence of fraud. If your experience resembles this pattern, report the instructions and events you observed rather than treating the resemblance as proof of another person’s identity or intent. (source )

More generally, distinguish what you directly observed from what you suspect. A message, receipt, account notice, or transaction record may help document events, but the record alone does not establish every fact about who was involved or why. Use cautious wording such as “I suspect” when intent or identity is uncertain.

Preserve records before accounts or messages change

Start with material already available to you. Save relevant emails, text messages, chats, website addresses, usernames, receipts, and dates. Keep messages in their original context where possible, including surrounding conversation that explains how contact began or what was requested. If a page or account remains accessible, note where it appeared and when you saw it. Do not create evidence by guessing at missing details.

Record a simple timeline: how contact began, what was said or requested, what actions followed, and when they occurred. Mark uncertainty plainly. A useful account separates a fact you can point to—such as a dated message—from your interpretation of that fact. Preserve original copies and avoid editing, deleting, or publicly posting potentially sensitive material. Store copies in a place you can access without exposing them to the person you suspect.

If transaction details are already available, note the transaction identifier, network, wallet addresses, amount, and approximate time as displayed in the relevant service or record. Keep the details together with the source from which you copied them. Do not infer missing network or address information, and do not treat an address as a verified real-world identity. The purpose is to preserve what you have observed for a report, not to investigate or confront a suspected person.

Keep records separate from access secrets. Do not include seed phrases, private keys, passwords, or login codes in an incident report or send them to someone offering assistance. These are not ordinary transaction records. If a form appears to request a secret that would grant access to an account or wallet, stop and verify the request through an independently found official channel before proceeding.

A practical preservation packet can contain a timeline, copies of communications, receipts or transaction details already available, account or service names, and notes about what remains uncertain. Keep a copy of anything you later submit and any reference information the recipient provides. This helps you maintain a consistent record; it does not imply that a recipient will take a particular action.

Choose the reporting channel for your location and situation

Begin with official government or law-enforcement resources for your jurisdiction and the kind of incident involved. Check that the page or contact details are current and genuinely belong to the relevant organization. Reporting procedures, eligibility, and deadlines are not established by this general guide, so do not apply instructions from another jurisdiction as if they were universal.

Next, consider separately whether an exchange, wallet service, payment provider, or online platform was involved. Find its support or reporting route through a contact method you verify independently, such as navigating to the service’s official website or application yourself. Do not rely on a link, telephone number, or account supplied by the suspected scammer. If you are unsure whether a channel is official, pause and confirm it using independently located organization information.

The distinction between channels matters. An exchange or platform may receive information about activity connected to its service, while an official authority has a different role. Neither should be assumed to forward your report to every other organization. If multiple services or jurisdictions are involved, check each relevant official source and retain a record of whom you contacted and when.

Before submitting, read the recipient’s instructions and provide information through the specified channel. Use concise, chronological wording and include records that support the account. Do not send more personal or account information than the channel requests. Preserve your own copy of the submission and any response, while avoiding assumptions about response time or outcome.

Report clearly and protect yourself from follow-up scams

A clear report can be organized in a few parts: how contact began; what was communicated or requested; what you did; when events occurred; what transaction, account, or communication records are available; and which details remain uncertain. Identify the services involved without claiming they endorsed or caused the conduct unless you have evidence for that statement. Separate direct observations from suspicions, and avoid naming a person as responsible when you cannot substantiate that identification.

Do not send additional funds, credentials, recovery phrases, private keys, or remote-access permissions to someone claiming they can retrieve assets or help with a report. An unsolicited offer does not become trustworthy just because it refers to your incident or uses official-sounding language. Verify any claimed affiliation and contact route independently before responding. Keep reporting focused on safe communication with verified organizations rather than trying to trace, identify, or confront someone yourself.

If an incident involved a kiosk, record who instructed the payment, what was said, when it happened, and how the destination was provided, if those details are already available. The documented kiosk scam pattern is a reason to describe the circumstances clearly, not a basis for concluding that every kiosk transaction is fraudulent or that a transfer can be reversed. (source )

What to check before acting across jurisdictions

There is no basis here for a universal reporting form, agency, deadline, eligibility rule, or outcome. Check current official guidance for the jurisdiction and situation that apply to you. If a service operates across borders or more than one place may be relevant, do not assume that one submission automatically covers all channels. Confirm the scope and instructions of each organization through its official materials.

This guide does not determine legal, tax, or compliance duties. It also cannot tell you whether a particular transaction was fraudulent, who was responsible, or whether an authority or provider will act. For questions that require a jurisdiction-specific legal, tax, or compliance assessment, consult a qualified local professional or the relevant official source rather than treating general reporting guidance as a conclusion.

Keep the immediate task narrow: preserve the records already available, protect access secrets, identify official reporting routes for your location, and distinguish authority reporting from provider notification. Make a careful account of what happened without overstating what the evidence shows. A report can convey a suspected incident to a recipient; it cannot promise investigation, enforcement, a response, or recovery.

Sources and references