Crypto scam or wallet drained: what to do now

1. Stop sending money immediately — do not pay 'taxes', 'gas fees', or 'withdrawal fees'.

   FTC: Cryptocurrency Scams
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   Why this matters: scammers tell victims they must pay a 'tax', 'verification fee', or 'gas fee' to release the funds. It's a lie designed to extract more money. You cannot buy your way out of a scam — every additional payment is lost.

2. Cut off all communication — block, but do not confront the scammer.

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   Block the scammer on WhatsApp, Telegram, social media, and phone. Do not tell them you've figured it out. Confronting them often causes them to delete evidence, threaten you, or escalate manipulation.

3. Beware of 'recovery scammers' — anyone who promises to get your crypto back for an upfront fee is almost certainly a scam.

   FBI: Fake Crypto Recovery CompaniesFTC: Refund and Recovery Scams
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   Within days you'll be contacted by people claiming they can 'hack the hackers' or trace and recover your crypto. These are almost always the same criminal networks — or copycats — looking for a second payday. Legitimate law enforcement never charges a fee.

4. If a self-custody wallet (MetaMask, Trust, Phantom) was drained: revoke all token approvals immediately.

   Revoke.cashEtherscan Token Approvals
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   If you signed a malicious transaction, the attacker may still have permission to drain other tokens later. Connect your wallet to Revoke.cash (or your chain's equivalent) and revoke every approval you don't recognize.

5. If a wallet was drained: assume it is permanently compromised — create a brand new wallet (new seed phrase) and move any remaining funds.

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   Never reuse the compromised seed phrase. Generate a new wallet on a clean device, write down the new seed phrase offline, and transfer any leftover assets there. The old wallet should be considered burned.

6. If you bought crypto on a legitimate exchange (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance) before sending: lock those accounts down now.

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   Change the exchange password to something unique, switch 2FA from SMS to an authenticator app (Authy, Google Authenticator), and review API keys + withdrawal whitelists for anything you didn't add.

1. Preserve all evidence — screenshot before anything disappears.

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   Capture: the scammer's profile (dating app, Telegram, WhatsApp), full chat histories, the fake investment website / dashboard, transaction receipts, and any 'support' contacts. Do not delete the apps yet — just document everything.

2. Collect every transaction hash and destination wallet address — this is the most important data for law enforcement.

   IC3: Cryptocurrency Info
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   Find the Transaction ID / Hash (a long string usually starting with 0x for Ethereum or a different format for Bitcoin) for every transfer you made. Also copy the exact destination wallet address. Investigators trace funds on the blockchain using these — they're far more useful than dollar amounts alone.

3. 🇺🇸 US

   File a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

   ic3.gov
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   Include all transaction hashes, destination addresses, the scammer's contact info, and the platform name. The FBI has dedicated crypto-tracing teams; reports also feed seizure operations that have occasionally returned funds to victims.

4. 🇨🇦 CA

   Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and the RCMP cybercrime portal.

   CAFC · 1-888-495-8501cybercrime.rcmp-grc.gc.ca

5. Report the scammer's profile on the dating app, social platform, or messaging app where you first met — it helps protect the next victim.

1. 🇺🇸 US

   File reports with the FTC, and (for fake investments) the SEC and CFTC.

   ReportFraud.ftc.govSEC TipsCFTC Complaint

2. Reach out for emotional support — the psychological toll is severe and you are not alone.

   AARP Fraud Watch · 1-877-908-3360
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   Long-term 'pig butchering' romance + investment scams cause severe distress, shame, and isolation. The AARP Fraud Watch Network helpline is free and confidential (you don't need to be a member or a senior). A therapist familiar with financial trauma can also help.

1. Be on guard for follow-on scams for at least 12 months — your contact info is now on lists shared between criminal groups.

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   Treat any unsolicited message about 'recovering' your crypto, a 'class action settlement', or a new 'guaranteed return' as a scam by default. Verify independently by going directly to the agency or company's official site.

2. Going forward: only use major regulated exchanges, enable authenticator-app 2FA everywhere, and never sign a transaction you don't fully understand.

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