Crypto scams · Updated October 2026

Crypto Scam: How Fake Wallets and Fake Platforms Take Deposits

A crypto scam is a payment that left a public trail and a story that does not match it. Bitcoin scam pages, fake exchanges and fake wallets all ask for the same thing: a send you will not get back from that screen. We investigate losses as a cybersecurity company — we do not replace the bank, the card scheme, or the police.

The pattern

How most crypto scams actually run

  • A dashboard shows a balance that only exists on that website.
  • A first small withdrawal is paid so the next send is larger.
  • A tax, gas fee or unlock is demanded in new crypto before any payout.
  • The site, the Telegram handle or the wallet app then goes quiet.
  • A second firm then messages you offering to 'get it back' for a fee.
The trail

Crypto leaves a record. The website does not have to stay up.

A bitcoin scam send is on the chain whether the site is live or not. The date and the transaction are the part a review page cannot see. Send the date and how you paid. The first look at the file is free.

Reporting a crypto scam to the police or the national fraud unit is still the official channel. We investigate the file next to that. We do not replace them.

Sort the event

Crypto scam or a real exchange dispute

  • You typed the official domain yourself.You followed a link, a QR code or a WhatsApp name.
  • The firm answers on a public register.The firm answers only in chat.
  • A fee is deducted from the balance.A fee is a new send to a new wallet.
If you already sent

Report the crypto scam, then send the file

Report

File with your bank or card issuer if you bought the coin through them, and with the police or the national fraud site in your country. That is how to report a crypto scam.

Keep the tx

The transaction id, the wallet you paid, and the date open the investigation.

Do not pay a tracer who found you

A firm that cold-contacts you after a loss is a second pitch. Read investigation vs a recovery firm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is every crypto loss a scam?

No. A real exchange can stall a withdrawal and still be the firm on the register. A crypto scam is a send to a screen that was never going to pay you. The domain you used is the split.

Can a bitcoin scam send still be investigated?

Yes. The chain keeps the payment. We investigate that file. The bank, the exchange or the police are the channels that can act on it.

How do I report a crypto scam?

Write the date, the wallet and the site. File with the police or the national fraud unit. Then send the same record here for the first look.

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Forensics Source Group is not affiliated to this broker. We cannot close an account or confirm a balance. We investigate losses as a cybersecurity company — we do not replace the bank, the card scheme, or the police. Write the date and how you paid.

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