You notice a withdrawal you did not authorize, or the person who guided you through an investment stops replying. Start by pausing contact and preserving what you can; a clear record of what happened is more useful than trying to reconstruct it later. Do not share passwords, seed phrases or private keys with anyone offering help.
Secure accounts you control
If you gave someone access to an email, exchange or financial account, use the service’s official website or app to change the password and review active sessions. Turn on multifactor authentication where available, and contact the bank, card issuer or exchange through its verified support channel if money or account access is involved. Do not use phone numbers or links supplied in a suspicious message.
Keep the evidence intact
Save messages, emails, receipts, account statements and screenshots of the site or app. For crypto transfers, note the transaction hash, wallet address, date and approximate amount lost if you have those details; these can help explain the sequence of events, but they do not identify who controls a wallet by themselves. Keep original files when possible and avoid editing screenshots.
Choose reporting options
In the United States, you can report suspected fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov; reports involving online crime can also be submitted to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Contact your financial institution or the platform involved as well, and ask what account-protection or dispute steps may apply. Reporting creates a record, but it does not guarantee that funds can be recovered.
Describe what happened clearly
Write down the order of events: how the contact began, what you were told, what you did, and when communication changed. Include the type of scam and approximate amount lost if known, while leaving out passwords, seed phrases and private keys. A concise timeline makes it easier to share consistent information across reporting channels.