Guides
How onchain tracing and reporting actually work
Written by the people who do the work, for people trying to understand what happened to their funds. No guarantees, no jargon for its own sake — just what the public ledger can and cannot show, and what to do with it.
How USDT tracing works on Tron and Ethereum
How stablecoin transfers are traced across Tron and Ethereum, what the ledger reveals, and where a trace realistically ends.
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Read guide · 9 min readWhat an onchain evidence pack contains
A breakdown of Wallsec's evidence pack, why each section exists, and how it can be used by your bank or adviser.
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Read guide · 7 min readReporting cryptocurrency fraud in the UK: who to contact and in what order
Who to report UK cryptocurrency fraud to, in what order, what each body can do, and what to prepare before contacting them.
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Read guide · 8 min readWallet drainers and token approvals: how they work and what to do
Why a wallet empties days after you signed something harmless, how to check and revoke token approvals, and what to do once it has happened.
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Read guide · 7 min readSecond-wave fraud: why victims are targeted twice
Why people who have already lost cryptocurrency are contacted again, the patterns that repeat, and the checks to run before you engage anyone offering help.
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Read guide · 7 min readWhat to preserve in the first 48 hours after a cryptocurrency loss
A checklist of the records to capture right after a cryptocurrency fraud, why timing matters, and the mistakes that destroy usable evidence.
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Read guide · 6 min readPig butchering scams: how the long con works and how funds are traced
How pig butchering fraud is built over weeks, the platforms involved, and how investigators trace the funds afterwards.
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Read guide · 8 min readHow stolen bitcoin is traced, step by step
What a bitcoin trace actually involves, how UTXO following works, where the trail ends, and what the result is useful for.
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Read guide · 8 min readHow to assess a cryptocurrency investigation firm in the UK
Questions to ask before instructing anyone to investigate a cryptocurrency loss, and what a credible engagement looks like.
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Read guide · 7 min readCommon cryptocurrency scams in the UK and how the money moves
The fraud patterns reported most often in the UK, how each one moves funds, and what evidence to preserve for each.
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Read guide · 9 min readWhat to do in the first 24 hours after a cryptocurrency scam
A calm, ordered checklist for the first day after a cryptocurrency loss: what to stop, what to save, and who to tell first.
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Read guide · 6 min readHow to report a cryptocurrency scam in the UK, step by step
Report cryptocurrency fraud in the UK: Action Fraud, Police Scotland, your bank and the FCA — who to tell first, what to include, and what happens next.
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Read guide · 8 min readCan stolen USDT be traced, and can it be frozen?
A straight answer on tracing stolen USDT across Tron and Ethereum, whether issuers can freeze it, and what evidence actually changes.
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Read guide · 7 min readHow to trace a crypto transaction
A clear seven-step guide to tracing a crypto transaction across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tron, Solana and other public networks using transaction hashes and block explorers.
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Read guide · 9 min readHow to trace a Bitcoin transaction
A practical walkthrough of following a Bitcoin payment through the public ledger: finding the transaction, reading inputs and outputs, and knowing where a trace ends.
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Read guide · 8 min readWhat to do if you sent cryptocurrency to a fraudster
The first 48 hours matter. A calm, ordered checklist covering what to preserve, who to notify in the UK, and what is realistically possible afterwards.
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Read guide · 7 min readHow to check if a cryptocurrency website is fake
Ten checks you can run in a few minutes — domain age, company details, withdrawal terms and contact channels — before you deposit anything.
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Read guide · 6 min readAre cryptocurrency recovery services legitimate?
Some are, many are not. How to tell an investigation firm from a second-wave fraud, what can honestly be promised, and the checks to run before you pay anyone.
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Read guide · 7 min readCan stolen cryptocurrency be recovered?
A straight answer: transfers cannot be reversed, but funds are sometimes returned through exchanges, courts and law enforcement. What makes a case realistic.
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Read guide · 7 min readHow to ask an exchange to freeze stolen cryptocurrency
What to send an exchange when stolen funds reach a deposit address, how compliance teams handle these requests, and what they can and cannot do without police process.
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Read guide · 8 min readWhat cryptocurrency investigation services cost in the UK
How UK firms price onchain investigation work, which fee structures are normal, which are warning signs, and what you should receive for the money.
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Read guide · 7 min readWhat happens after you report cryptocurrency fraud to Action Fraud
How an Action Fraud report is triaged, what the crime reference number is for, realistic timescales, and what to do while you wait.
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Read guide · 6 min readAction Fraud or a private investigation: which does what
How reporting to Action Fraud differs from a private onchain investigation in the UK — cost, powers, timescales, outputs, and why most people need both.
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Read guide · 8 min readSolicitor or investigator first? Choosing the right order
Whether to instruct a solicitor or an onchain investigator first after cryptocurrency fraud, what each one can and cannot do, and how the two roles fit together.
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Read guide · 7 min readBank fraud vs cryptocurrency fraud: why the outcomes differ
Why a fraudulent bank transfer and a fraudulent cryptocurrency transfer lead to very different outcomes in the UK, and what that means for reporting and reimbursement.
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Read guide · 7 min readCan cryptocurrency transactions be traced?
What can and cannot be followed on a public ledger, which networks are traceable, how far a trace usually gets, and what the result is actually useful for.
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Read guide · 8 min readCan the police trace stolen cryptocurrency in the UK?
What UK police can and cannot do with stolen cryptocurrency, how Action Fraud triage works, and why most reports never reach a force.
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Read guide · 8 min readHow long does a cryptocurrency trace take?
Realistic timescales for an onchain trace: the first assessment, the full investigation, and what makes a case take longer.
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Read guide · 6 min readCan an exchange freeze stolen cryptocurrency?
When an exchange can restrict stolen funds, what it needs from you, why speed decides the outcome, and what it will never do.
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Read guide · 7 min readCan cryptocurrency be traced after it goes through a mixer?
What mixers and privacy protocols do to a trace, when statistical association survives, and why an honest report says which case applies.
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Read guide · 7 min readDo I need a solicitor for cryptocurrency fraud?
When legal advice is worth the cost in a UK cryptocurrency fraud case, what a solicitor can do that an investigator cannot, and how the two fit together.
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Read guide · 7 min readA platform is asking me to pay tax or a fee before I can withdraw
What it means when a trading platform blocks your withdrawal until you pay a tax, fee or deposit, and what to do next in the UK.
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Read guide · 6 min readCan my bank refund money I lost to a cryptocurrency scam?
How UK banks treat payments made to cryptocurrency fraud, when reimbursement rules apply, and what evidence supports a claim.
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Read guide · 7 min readCan you find out who owns a cryptocurrency wallet address?
What a public ledger does and does not reveal about the person behind a wallet address, and how attribution actually happens.
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Read guide · 6 min readHow long after a scam can cryptocurrency still be traced?
Whether an old cryptocurrency loss can still be traced, what changes with time, and which parts of a case genuinely expire.
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Read guide · 6 min readI sent cryptocurrency to someone I met online — what should I do?
Practical first steps after sending cryptocurrency to someone you met through a dating app or social media, and what can be traced.
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Read guide · 7 min readA scammer has my ID documents — what should I do?
Steps to take in the UK after sending identity documents or verification selfies to a fraudulent cryptocurrency platform.
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Read guide · 6 min readIs my lost cryptocurrency gone forever?
Whether cryptocurrency lost to fraud is gone for good depends on where it ended up. What the public record shows, what can still be done and what cannot.
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Read guide · 6 min readCrypto investment scam in the UK: what to do
A step-by-step guide for people in the UK who have lost money on a fake cryptocurrency investment platform: who to contact, what to keep and what to avoid.
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Read guide · 7 min readMy crypto exchange has blocked my withdrawal: what now?
Why a legitimate exchange may hold a withdrawal, how to tell that apart from a fake platform, and the steps to take in the UK.
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Read guide · 6 min readWhat information to give an investigator about a crypto scam
A checklist of the records an onchain investigator needs to assess a cryptocurrency fraud case quickly, and what you should never share.
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Read guide · 5 min readMore resources
Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms banks, exchanges and police reports use.
OpenYour options after a loss
Bank, Action Fraud, exchange, trace or solicitor — what each can actually do.
OpenHow money moves
An animated walkthrough of how stolen funds travel between wallets, bridges and exchanges.
OpenHow transfers work
The anatomy of an onchain transfer, in plain English.
OpenUK fraud updates
Monthly notes on UK cryptocurrency fraud patterns and reporting routes.
OpenCryptocurrency fraud in the UK
Reporting routes, timelines and what the public ledger can show.
OpenScam prevention FAQ
Common tactics and safe steps to take before contacting anyone.
OpenWant your own case looked at?
The first review is free.