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How to report a crypto scam in Australia
In Australia, report cryptocurrency fraud through ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au. This is the channel that can lead to an investigation — reports are triaged and referred to your local police. Also file with Scamwatch, but understand the difference: Scamwatch is run by the National Anti-Scam Centre for intelligence purposes, it is not a police report, and it cannot be responded to individually. Filing only with Scamwatch means no investigation ever begins.
Criminals are impersonating the AFP and filing false ReportCyber reports in victims' names, then quoting the genuine reference number to sound official. Police will never call you asking for seed phrases, passwords, or transfers. If you receive such a call, hang up and phone the agency back on a number you looked up independently.
Where to report, and what each channel actually does
Not every reporting channel does the same thing. Some can start an investigation; others collect intelligence and will never respond to you individually. Both are worth filing — but only one of them begins a process. File in this order.
ReportCyber Police — can lead to an investigation
A national policing initiative managed jointly by Commonwealth, State and Territory police. Reports are triaged and referred to your local police force for investigation. This is the one to file if you want police action. You receive a reference number — keep it.
Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre) Intelligence only — no case response
Run by the ACCC. Feeds national scam intelligence and disruption work. A Scamwatch report is NOT a police report and they cannot respond to individual reports. File it in addition to ReportCyber, never instead of it.
ASIC Regulator
File here if the scam involved an investment, a financial service, or a claimed Australian licence. ASIC cannot recover your money but does pursue enforcement and publishes warnings.
IDCARE Intelligence only — no case response
Free national identity and cyber support service. Call 1800 595 160 if you handed over identity documents. They provide a personalised response plan at no cost.
What to include in your report
The transaction IDs are the single most important thing. A report without them is dramatically weaker, because investigators group cases by wallet address.
- Every wallet address you sent funds to
- Transaction IDs (hashes) for each transfer
- Dates, times and amounts
- Every website, app and account name used
- Full chat exports — not screenshots, which lose timestamps
- Bank statements showing money moving to the exchange
Can Australian courts help?
Australian courts can grant freezing and disclosure orders, but only where a defendant or an Australian-facing exchange can be identified. Note that blockchain analysis is jurisdiction-agnostic — an analyst anywhere sees the same ledger — so you do not need an Australian tracing firm. What you do need locally is legal representation, because only an Australian court can grant an Australian order.
If a firm offers to recover your money
Expect to be approached. Victim lists are bought and sold, and recovery fraud specifically targets people who have already lost money once. Before paying anyone, ask what licence they hold, from which regulator, and what the number is.
The licence to demand in Australia
An Australian legal practitioner holding a current practising certificate, or a private investigator licensed under your state's legislation. PI licensing is state-based — NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia each maintain separate registers. Ask which state licensed them, and check that register.
ASIC has published a specific alert on 'follow-up' scams: operators claiming they can recover lost funds for an upfront fee, frequently payable in cryptocurrency, and posing as satisfied former victims leaving fake recommendations on review sites. If that describes whoever contacted you, you have found the second scam rather than the solution to the first.
A SAM.gov registration is not a licence. A NATO NCAGE code is not a licence. Both are free self-registrations with no vetting behind them, and both are used constantly by fraudulent operators to look official.
Check whether your case is recoverable — free
Frequently asked questions
Is Scamwatch a police report?
No. Scamwatch is operated by the ACCC through the National Anti-Scam Centre and collects intelligence about scams. It is not a police report and the team cannot respond to individual reports. To start a police process, file with ReportCyber.
What is the difference between ReportCyber and Scamwatch?
ReportCyber is a policing initiative — reports are triaged and referred to local police who may investigate. Scamwatch is intelligence collection that informs national disruption and warnings. File both, but only ReportCyber can lead to an investigation of your case.
Can Australian police recover my cryptocurrency?
Occasionally, and only when funds remain at an identifiable exchange and the report is filed quickly. In most cases police work aggregates reports to target networks rather than recovering individual losses.
Do I need an Australian recovery firm?
For tracing, no — blockchain analysis works identically from anywhere. For legal action, yes: only an Australian lawyer can pursue orders in an Australian court. Be cautious of firms that bundle both and charge for both.
What does ASIC do about crypto scams?
ASIC pursues enforcement against unlicensed financial services and publishes warnings, including its alert on follow-up recovery scams. It does not recover individual losses.
I gave them my ID documents. What now?
Contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160. The service is free and will give you a specific plan for your situation, including which documents to replace and how to place protections on your credit file.