Scam type
Cryptocurrency Scams
Cryptocurrency fraud takes many forms — exchanges that exist only as a website, 'trading platforms' built around long-running relationship scams, malicious token approvals that empty a wallet in a single transaction, and giveaways that promise to double whatever you send. What they share is a destination: crypto moved to addresses controlled by the fraudster.
It is important to be honest about what comes next. Confirmed blockchain transactions cannot be reversed by anyone — not by ChargeBack, not by a bank, and not by the network itself. What can be done is to document how the crypto was purchased and where it moved, report promptly to the police and any exchanges involved, and examine whether the payments you made to buy the crypto have their own dispute routes. ChargeBack helps with the assessment, tracing documentation, and preparation of those reports.
The pattern
How this scam typically works
The setup
Contact arrives through social media, dating apps, messaging groups, or search adverts for an 'exchange'. Pig-butchering operations invest weeks in friendly or romantic conversation before money is ever mentioned; fake exchanges simply look like the real thing, sometimes imitating well-known brands.
The first deposit
You are guided to buy cryptocurrency through a genuine exchange, then transfer it to the platform's deposit address or connect your wallet to their site. Fabricated dashboards show early gains, and a small test withdrawal may even succeed to build confidence.
The drain
Deposits are escalated through 'exclusive opportunities', margin calls, or emotional pressure. In wallet-draining variants, signing a single malicious approval or transaction gives the fraudster's contract permission to move your tokens without any further action from you.
The lockout
Withdrawals are refused pending 'taxes', 'verification fees', or 'unlocking charges' that never end. Eventually the site goes offline, the contact vanishes, and the crypto has already been split across many addresses and moved through mixers or other exchanges.
Warning signs
- An online contact you have never met steers the conversation towards crypto trading
- A platform promises guaranteed or unusually consistent trading profits
- You are told to move crypto off a regulated exchange to an unfamiliar platform or address
- Withdrawals require paying a tax, fee, or deposit before your own funds are 'released'
- A website or pop-up asks you to enter a seed phrase or sign an approval you do not understand
- A celebrity or company 'giveaway' promises to return more crypto than you send
What to do right now
- Stop sending funds immediately, including any 'withdrawal fees' or 'taxes' — these are part of the scam, and paying them does not release anything.
- If a wallet may be compromised or you signed an unknown approval, move remaining assets to a fresh wallet with a new seed phrase and revoke outstanding token approvals.
- Report the fraud to your local police or national fraud-reporting service and keep the reference number.
- Notify any legitimate exchange you used to buy or send the crypto — exchanges can flag destination addresses and may restrict linked accounts on their platform.
- Preserve all records before sites disappear: transaction hashes, wallet addresses, screenshots, chat histories, and the platform's web addresses.
Evidence worth collecting
- Transaction hashes (TXIDs) and the wallet addresses you sent funds to
- Records from the legitimate exchange where you bought the crypto, including deposits and withdrawals
- Bank and card statements showing how the crypto purchases were funded
- Screenshots of the fake platform, dashboards, balances, and any deposit instructions
- All chat, email, and social-media conversations with the people involved
- The website addresses, app names, and social-media profiles used by the fraudsters
- Police or fraud-service reference numbers you already have
How ChargeBack can help
- Assess your case and set realistic expectations about what each channel can and cannot achieve
- Trace the on-chain movement of your funds and document the path in a clear written report — tracing shows where crypto went, it does not bring it back
- Organise transaction hashes, statements, and communications into a coherent case file
- Identify which of your payments — such as card purchases of crypto — may have their own dispute or complaint routes
- Prepare written summaries suited to your bank, the police, exchanges, or an independent lawyer
We assess and document; banks, payment providers, and authorities decide outcomes. No recovery can be guaranteed by anyone.
Possible channels
Dispute and reporting channels that may apply
Which channels are realistic depends on how you paid, where the money went, and how quickly the incident was reported.
Police and fraud-reporting services
An official report is the essential first step for crypto fraud. Law enforcement is the only party with powers to compel exchanges to act, and your report may connect to wider investigations of the same addresses.
The exchange where you bought the crypto
Legitimate exchanges accept fraud reports, can flag the destination addresses you identify, and may act on accounts that received the funds on their own platform. They cannot reverse confirmed blockchain transactions.
Card dispute or bank fraud report
If you funded the purchases by card or bank transfer, tell your issuer or bank you were defrauded and ask what applies to your situation. Outcomes vary because you typically did receive the crypto you paid for, but early, well-documented reporting matters.
Financial regulator
Reporting the fake platform to your national financial regulator can lead to public warnings that protect others, and creates an official record of the entity involved.
FAQ
Common questions
Start here
Start with a free, confidential consultation.
Tell us what happened. We will review the information and explain whether our services are relevant — and, if you choose to proceed, exactly what any investigation would involve and cost.