When a crypto scam comes to light, the first day matters more than any other. Funds still sitting at a regulated exchange can sometimes be flagged or frozen — but only if someone acts before they are moved on. Here is what to do right now.
1. Stop every further payment
If the platform is asking for a “fee”, “tax”, or “verification deposit” to release your money, stop. That is a hallmark of fraud. No legitimate service requires a payment to give you your own funds back.
2. Save everything
Screenshot your dashboard, withdrawal requests, and every chat. Export your bank and card statements. Note the platform URL, wallet addresses, and transaction IDs. This record is the raw material of a trace.
3. Map the money trail
Write down, in order, every payment you made: amount, date, method, and where it went. Card, bank transfer, and crypto each have different recovery routes.
4. Don’t trust anyone promising a guaranteed recovery
Recovery scams target fresh victims within days. Anyone who cold-calls offering to get everything back for an upfront fee is the second fraud, not the cure.
5. Get the trail documented while it’s fresh
This is where asset tracing begins. The sooner funds are followed on-chain, the better the odds of reaching them before they are cashed out. A free case review will tell you honestly whether tracing and recovery are realistic.
Stolen crypto isn’t always gone — but the clock is real. Act today.