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Knowledge Hub
Plain guidance on cryptocurrency fraud, written to be useful rather than reassuring. We say when recovery is realistic and when it isn't.
Pillars 13
Pillar · 10 minAI agent scamsAI trading bots and agent wallets created a new kind of theft where no key is stolen. What went wrong in 2026, and what to check before connecting a wallet.Read the guide Pillar · 10 minAI crypto scamsWhat AI has changed about crypto fraud, what it has not, and the one verification habit that works regardless of how convincing the video or voice is.Read the guide Pillar · 8 minCan stolen crypto be recovered?Sometimes, but it is not routine and it is never guaranteed. What blockchain tracing can and cannot do, which factors decide the outcome, and what helps.Read the guide Pillar · 9 minHow blockchain tracing worksWhat analysts can read from a public ledger, how funds are followed through wallets, exchanges, mixers and bridges, and where tracing stops.Read the guide Pillar · 10 minProtecting your seed phraseYour recovery phrase is the wallet, not a password for it. Where it must never go, how to back it up without creating a new risk, and what to do if it may be exposed.Read the guide Pillar · 11 minHow to secure a cold walletA hardware wallet protects your keys, not your judgment. How to set up, back up, verify and sign safely, and what cold storage cannot do.Read the guide Pillar · 11 minHow to secure a warm walletBrowser and mobile wallets trade safety for convenience. How to run one without losing everything: separation, approvals, prompts, and what to check before signing.Read the guide Pillar · 7 minHow to spot a crypto recovery scamRecovery scams target people who have already lost crypto. Here are the warning signs, the questions to ask, and why an upfront fee is disqualifying.Read the guide Pillar · 10 minVerifying what you signReviewing a transaction on a screen is not the same as verifying it. What blind signing means, how to read a prompt, and the habit that caught the largest theft on record.Read the guide Pillar · 9 minThe first 48 hoursA practical first-response sequence: stop payments, secure accounts, preserve evidence before it disappears, contact the platform, and report the crime.Read the guide Pillar · 6 minWhat is a transaction hash (TXID)A transaction hash, or TXID, is the unique ID of a crypto transaction. What it shows, where to find it in your wallet or exchange, and how to share it safely.Read the guide Pillar · 12 minThe FBI IC3, explainedWhat IC3 is, what it cannot do, exactly what the form asks for, and what happens after you submit. Verified against official IC3 guidance.Read the guide Pillar · 9 minWhat MCP isMCP means Model Context Protocol, a standard for connecting AI to tools and data. It is not a coin or a wallet. What it is, why it matters, and the real risks.Read the guide
Guides 31
Guide · 7 minAI-written phishingGenerative AI removed the typos that used to give scams away. The tells that still work are about the request and the channel, not the spelling. Here they are.Read the guide Guide · 7 minCloned sites and fake proofScammers copy real crypto sites and manufacture reviews, followers, and volume to look trusted. Here is how to spot a clone and verify you are on the real site.Read the guide Guide · 8 minCold vs warm walletsWhat each protects against, why the answer for most people is both, and the one comparison table that decides which holds what.Read the guide Guide · 8 minEvidence checklistExactly what to save before it disappears, why transaction hashes decide whether a report is usable, and how to write a report an investigator can act on.Read the guide Guide · 9 minAfter a data breach noticeA company lost your data. What to do first, what each type of exposed information means, and why the scam calls that follow are the real danger.Read the guide Guide · 8 minFake tracing servicesA tracer who says they found your stolen crypto and will release it for a fee is running a scam. What real blockchain tracing does, what it cannot do, and the tells.Read the guide Guide · 8 minFake recovery lawyersAfter a crypto loss, a lawyer, investigator, or compliance officer contacts you offering to get your money back for a fee. Here is how that second scam works and how to verify a real one.Read the guide Guide · 7 minFake support accountsPost about a wallet or exchange issue and a helpful support account replies within minutes. It is fake. How these accounts find you, what they ask for, and how to reach real support.Read the guide Guide · 7 minThe first 10 minutesSuspect your crypto has been stolen? The first ten minutes decide what you can save. A fast triage: what to do right now, and what not to do yet.Read the guide Guide · 8 minForensic reports and lawyersWhat a forensic report contains, when it is worth paying for, when a lawyer becomes relevant, and how to verify that either is genuine.Read the guide Guide · 7 minFraudulent crypto adsScam crypto ads run on search, social, and video, impersonating real exchanges and public figures. Why they get approved, how the scam works, and the checks that keep you out of them.Read the guide Guide · 8 minAfter a fraudulent wireA fraudulent wire can sometimes be recalled, but only if you act fast. Who to call first, what to say, and why the first day matters more than the next month.Read the guide Guide · 9 minFake police, FBI, and agenciesScammers pose as the FBI, police, and tax agencies to pressure you into paying. Here is how to tell a real agency from an impersonator, and how to verify it.Read the guide Guide · 8 minHelping a scammed relativeSomeone you love has been scammed. How to help with both the practical steps and the harder part: responding so they can keep talking to you, not shut down.Read the guide Guide · 8 minRevoking token approvalsWhat an approval grants, how to find the ones you have given, how to revoke them safely, and what revoking does not fix.Read the guide Guide · 8 minVerify a crypto platformBefore depositing on a crypto exchange or investment platform, a few checks separate the real from the fake. How to verify the entity, regulator, and withdrawals.Read the guide Guide · 8 minVerify a crypto projectBefore you invest in a token, platform, or 'opportunity', a few checks separate the real from the fraudulent. The questions to ask, in order, and the red flags.Read the guide Guide · 8 minCheck a licence yourselfA recovery firm, investigator, or adviser claims to be licensed. Here is how to check it yourself on the official register, and the fakes that look real.Read the guide Guide · 7 minWrite a crypto scam timelineA clear, dated timeline turns a confusing crypto scam into something an investigator or exchange can act on. A simple template, what to include, and common mistakes.Read the guide Guide · 7 minLost seed phraseLost your recovery phrase? What you can still do depends on whether you have wallet access. The honest options, and the recovery scams that target this moment.Read the guide Guide · 8 minQuantum 'Q-Day' scamsWill quantum computers break Bitcoin? The honest answer, and the scam using that fear to make you 'move funds to a quantum-safe address' right now.Read the guide Guide · 8 minReport fraud to your bankPaid a scammer by bank transfer, wire, card, or Zelle? Here is exactly what to tell your bank, how fast to move, and what a bank can and cannot reverse.Read the guide Guide · 8 minIf your seed phrase is exposedAct on suspicion rather than certainty. How to move funds safely, why revoking approvals will not help, and which accounts to check across every chain.Read the guide Guide · 8 minSent crypto to the wrong networkSent crypto on the wrong network or without a memo? This is usually an error, not a scam. What to do first, what support needs, and when recovery is possible.Read the guide Guide · 8 minThe fee-to-withdraw trapA platform shows your profits but demands a fee, then a tax, then another fee to release them. Here is why paying never works, and what is actually happening.Read the guide Guide · 8 minVerify crypto support accountsFake crypto support accounts swarm anyone who posts a problem on social media. A simple routine to verify real support, and how to report the impostors.Read the guide Guide · 9 minIf your wallet is compromisedAn ordered response for a drained or compromised crypto wallet. What to do first, why the order matters, and how to tell which kind of compromise you have.Read the guide Guide · 8 minAfter you report a crypto scamYou filed a report with IC3, the FTC, or the police. What actually happens next, what you may or may not hear back, and what to do while you wait.Read the guide Guide · 8 minAfter a recovery offerA recovery agent, tracer, or investigator just contacted you after a loss. Here is exactly what to do, what never to give them, and why they found you.Read the guide Guide · 8 minWhen a trace reaches an exchangeA trace shows your stolen crypto reached an exchange. That is a useful lead, not a guarantee of a freeze or a refund. What exchanges can and cannot do, and why.Read the guide Guide · 7 minWhy victims are targeted againAfter a crypto scam, a second approach often follows. Why victims are targeted again, the disguises it wears, and how to protect yourself from the second scam.Read the guide
Scam types 20
Scam type · 8 minAddress poisoningAttackers plant a look-alike address in your wallet history so you copy it by mistake and send funds to them. How address poisoning works and how to defend.Read the guide Scam type · 7 minAI voice-cloning scamsA panicked call in your child's or parent's voice, asking for money now. It can be cloned from seconds of audio. How to tell, and the one habit that defeats it.Read the guide Scam type · 8 minCelebrity & memecoin rugsA famous name launches a coin, it spikes, then collapses. How memecoin rug pulls work, why a celebrity endorsement means little, and how to spot the setup.Read the guide Scam type · 8 minCrypto ATM scamsIf anyone tells you to put cash into a Bitcoin ATM, it is a scam. How this fraud works, who it targets, and what to do if you have already paid.Read the guide Scam type · 6 minGiveaways and fake airdropsWhy send-to-receive offers are always fraudulent, how fake airdrops harvest approvals and seed phrases, and what to do about unsolicited tokens in your wallet.Read the guide Scam type · 7 minImpersonation scamsHow scammers borrow the trust of exchanges, celebrities, support teams and government agencies, and the verification habits that defeat all of them.Read the guide Scam type · 7 minCrypto sextortionSomeone is threatening to share intimate images unless you pay in crypto. Do not pay. What to do right now, how to report it, and where to get help removing images.Read the guide Scam type · 8 minWallet drainersHow a single signature can empty a wallet, why the transaction prompt looks harmless, how to check and revoke approvals, and what to do if you have been drained.Read the guide Scam type · 8 minDeepfake video call scamsScammers now join live video calls as your boss, a colleague, or a relative, using AI deepfakes. How the fraud works, the real cases, and how to verify.Read the guide Scam type · 8 minFake support on Telegram & DiscordAsk for help in a crypto channel and a 'support agent' appears in your DMs within minutes. It is a scam. How it works, and the one rule that defeats all of it.Read the guide Scam type · 6 minFake trading platformsHow fraudulent trading platforms work, the warning signs before you deposit, what evidence to save, and why paying a withdrawal fee never works.Read the guide Scam type · 8 minJob and task scamsA text offers easy online work, small payouts arrive, then you're asked to deposit crypto to keep earning. How task scams work, and the one rule that stops them.Read the guide Scam type · 8 minFrozen-profits scamYour trading profits show on screen but a withdrawal is blocked behind a tax, fee, or verification payment. Here is why the funds-on-hold scam works and what to do.Read the guide Scam type · 9 minHardware wallet scamsCounterfeit devices, tampered packaging, cloned wallet apps and fake update prompts. How each one works and the checks that catch them before you fund the wallet.Read the guide Scam type · 8 minPayment app scamsScammed through Zelle, Cash App or Venmo? What to do now, and the one distinction that decides whether you are likely to get the money back.Read the guide Scam type · 6 minRomance scams and cryptoHow a relationship becomes a crypto loss, the patterns that recur across cases, what to do if it has already happened, and why the shame is misplaced.Read the guide Scam type · 8 minRug pulls and exit scamsA rug pull is when a token's own team drains its value and disappears. Here is how the main types work, the warning signs before you buy, and what to do after.Read the guide Scam type · 7 minSIM-swap attacksHow attackers take over your phone number to reset your accounts, the warning signs, what to do in the first hour, and why SMS two-factor authentication is the weak link.Read the guide Scam type · 6 minTelegram and WhatsApp scamsWhy fraud concentrates on messaging apps, how signal groups and fake mentors work, and the verification habits that survive contact with a convincing group.Read the guide Scam type · 6 minPig butchering scamsHow the long-form crypto investment scam works, stage by stage, the trust-building, the fake platform, the withdrawal wall, and what to do if it happened to you.Read the guide