Crypto Scam Victim Guide
Scammed or hacked?
Start here.
Losing crypto is disorienting, and the next few decisions matter. This guide explains — honestly — what blockchain forensics can and cannot do, the steps to take right now, and how to trace where your funds went. No hype, no false promises.
We trace and document. We do not recover funds.
WalletDNA is an on-chain analytics tool — not a law firm, a fund-recovery service, or a guarantee. We produce the documented trail your funds took so you can bring real evidence to your exchange and the authorities. Anyone promising guaranteed recovery for a fee is running a second scam.
What blockchain forensics can — and cannot — do
Setting realistic expectations is the most important thing you can do right now. It protects you from the recovery scammers who prey on false hope, and it helps you focus on the actions that actually move your case forward.
What it can do
- ✓Trace where your funds moved — the ledger is public and permanent.
- ✓Show when funds reach a known exchange, where the recipient has provided KYC identity.
- ✓Flag mixers and sanctioned wallets along the path.
- ✓Reveal the most recent known location of the funds.
- ✓Produce a documented PDF report you can give to exchanges and law enforcement.
What it cannot do
- ✗Return or "recover" your funds — no tool can do that by itself.
- ✗Reverse a blockchain transaction — they are irreversible.
- ✗Force an exchange to freeze or refund — only the exchange or law enforcement can.
- ✗Reveal a private wallet owner's real-world identity with certainty — attribution is probabilistic; exchange off-ramps are the real lead.
- ✗Guarantee any outcome.
Your first 24 hours
- 1.Stop all contact and payments. Do not send another "tax," "fee," or "deposit" to unlock a withdrawal — that is part of the scam.
- 2.Preserve evidence. Save wallet addresses, transaction hashes, screenshots, chat logs, and any platform URLs. Don't delete the app or messages.
- 3.If your wallet is compromised, secure it. Move any remaining assets to a brand-new wallet with a fresh seed phrase, and revoke token approvals.
- 4.Trace the funds with WalletDNA and download the report.
- 5.Notify the receiving exchange if the trace shows funds landed there — contact its compliance or fraud team with the report and addresses. Speed matters.
- 6.File an official report. In the US, use the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov and your local police; elsewhere, your national cybercrime authority. Tell your bank if cards or fiat were involved.
- 7.Ignore "recovery" offers. No legitimate service guarantees recovery for an upfront fee.
Find the guide for your situation
Track a scam wallet →
You have the scammer's address or a transaction hash and want to trace where the money went.
Pig butchering / investment scam →
You were led to a fake trading or investment platform and deposited crypto that you now can't withdraw.
My wallet was hacked or drained →
Funds left your wallet without your intent — a drainer, phishing approval, or compromised seed phrase.
How to track stolen crypto (full guide) →
A step-by-step walkthrough of how fund-flow tracing works and how to use the results.
How to report a scam wallet →
Where to report a scam wallet — law enforcement, exchanges, and community databases — and how to file a report that helps warn others.
⚠ Beware recovery scams
Victims are routinely targeted a second time by "recovery agents" — people posing as investigators, lawyers, hackers, or even authorities who promise to retrieve your funds for an upfront fee. They cannot, and they are stealing from you again. Real tracing gives you evidence to take to exchanges and law enforcement; it is never a pay-now guarantee that funds will be returned.
Crypto scam victim — FAQ
Can I get my crypto back?
Be honest with yourself about this, because scammers exploit the hope. No tool — including WalletDNA — returns funds on its own, and a blockchain transaction cannot be reversed. Recovery is possible only when the funds reach a regulated exchange that holds the recipient's identity and law enforcement or that exchange acts on the evidence. Tracing is what gives you that evidence and dramatically improves the odds, but it is never a guarantee.
What can WalletDNA actually do for me?
It traces where your funds went across 18 chains, flags whether they reached a known exchange, mixer, or sanctioned wallet, scores the receiving wallet's risk, and produces a downloadable evidence report you can hand to the exchange and law enforcement. In short: it documents the trail so you can take real evidence to the people who can act.
Is it too late to trace?
The blockchain ledger is public and permanent, so the trail does not disappear — you can trace funds moved months or years ago. That said, act fast: funds are easiest to freeze in the short window before they are cashed out, so the sooner you trace and notify the receiving exchange, the better.
Someone contacted me offering to recover my funds for a fee — is that real?
Almost certainly a second scam. 'Recovery agents,' fake 'fund recovery' firms, and people posing as investigators or authorities specifically target victims for a second round of theft. Legitimate tracing produces evidence you bring to real authorities; it is never an upfront-fee guarantee of getting money back.
What do I need to start a trace?
Either the wallet address you sent funds to, or the transaction hash (TXID) from when the funds left your wallet or exchange. Both are usually visible in your wallet's transaction history or your exchange's withdrawal record.
How much does it cost?
You can start tracing for free — no credit card required. Paid plans add higher volumes and additional features, with transparent pricing published on the site.
Trace your funds now — free
Paste a wallet address or transaction hash. Results in under 60 seconds across 18 chains. No credit card to start.
Trace your funds →