Where to Report a Crypto Scam
If a crypto “signal” group, trading bot or managed-account offer took your money, here are the official US channels — what each one handles and where to file. Reporting rarely recovers funds, but it is fast, free, and how these schemes get shut down. Not legal advice.
First, preserve evidence — scam channels vanish within hours. Screenshot and save:
- Every message and the channel/website (full-page captures, not crops)
- Transaction IDs (TXIDs) and every wallet address you sent to
- Usernames, profile links, phone numbers and any “support” contacts
- Receipts, invoices, and your own dates/amounts
FTC — ReportFraud
The primary US front door for any scam. Reports feed the FTC's Consumer Sentinel network, shared with ~2,800 law-enforcement agencies. Start here even if you also report elsewhere.
File online → Phone: 1-877-382-4357
FBI — IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center)
The FBI's channel for internet-enabled financial crime, including crypto fraud and pig-butchering. The most important report if funds were sent to a scammer, because IC3 can sometimes trigger a rapid response to freeze transfers.
File a complaint → Act fast — recovery odds fall with time
CFTC — Complaint & Whistleblower
For fraud involving commodity futures, leveraged/margined crypto, forex "bots", and trading pools — which covers most "signal"/managed-trading schemes. Several cases on our casebook began as CFTC complaints.
Submit a tip or complaint → Whistleblower awards possible for original info
SEC — Tips, Complaints & Referrals
For schemes marketed as investments or securities — token "lending programs", yield/MLM offerings, and anything promising returns from a pooled fund. BitConnect, HyperFund and Forsage were all SEC matters.
Submit a tip (TCR) → Whistleblower program available
Your State Attorney General
State AGs pursue consumer-fraud cases and often act faster on local complaints than federal agencies. Use the official directory to find yours.
Find your state AG → Also ask about your state securities regulator
IdentityTheft.gov (FTC)
If the scam also exposed your identity — you shared ID documents, gave remote access, or a scammer opened accounts — this FTC site builds a personalized recovery plan.
Start a recovery plan → Use alongside a fraud report, not instead of it
Beware the recovery scam — the second wave
Within days of being scammed, you may be contacted by someone claiming to recover your funds for an upfront fee — a “lawyer”, “blockchain investigator”, or even a fake government agent. This is a follow-up scam that targets people who were just victimized. No legitimate agency charges an upfront fee to recover crypto, and genuine recovery of funds sent to a scammer is rare. Real regulators are the free channels listed above.
Before it happens to someone else
The patterns behind these schemes are consistent and checkable. See the casebook of US enforcement actions for how eleven of them operated, run any group through the free signal safety checker, and read the full step-by-step reporting guide for what to expect after you file.
Note: Educational content only, not legal or financial advice. Reporting URLs are official US government sites; verify the domain in your address bar before entering any information, and never pay an upfront “recovery” fee.