9 October 2026

What to do if fake crypto support contacts you

Legitimate cryptocurrency platforms will never contact you first via direct message, nor will they ask you to transfer funds to external wallets to resolve technical issues. If you suspect an impersonator has contacted you, sever communication immediately and secure your accounts on official platforms.

• This fraud occurs when criminals pose as technical support agents on social messaging channels, email, or search-engine advertisements, offering unsolicited assistance with stuck withdrawals, pending transactions, or account verification problems.
• Warning signs include support representatives initiating contact via direct message, pressuring you to move assets to a so-called secure audit wallet, or directing you to third-party verification websites rather than the provider's primary domain.
• Cease all contact with the individual immediately, change the passwords and multi-factor authentication methods on your genuine exchange accounts, and transfer any remaining funds to a newly created, uncompromised wallet under your control.
• Retain unedited screenshots of the entire conversation, export chat transcripts showing usernames and profile identifiers, and document all destination wallet addresses, transaction hashes, and exact timestamps associated with any transfers you were directed to make.
• Submit a formal report to Action Fraud or Police Scotland if resident there, notify the fraud department of your domestic bank regarding any linked fiat transfers, and alert the genuine platform's security team about the impersonation.
• An onchain trace can map where your funds moved and pinpoint deposits into custodial exchanges holding identity records, but it cannot independently recover the assets or reveal the true identity of the individuals operating behind private recipient addresses.

Written by the Wallsec investigations team. General information only, not legal or financial advice.