What to do after a crypto task scam
If you have lost funds to a cryptocurrency task scam, stop depositing further money immediately, secure all communication logs and transaction details, and notify your bank and Action Fraud. Fraudulent platforms will continually invent fees rather than allow you to withdraw your balance.
- This scheme typically involves being recruited through messaging apps or text messages to complete trivial online tasks, such as rating products or liking videos, in exchange for small initial cryptocurrency payouts designed to earn your trust.
- Clear warning signs include being asked to deposit your own cryptocurrency to reset a negative account balance, unlock higher commission tiers, or release frozen earnings displayed on an unfamiliar web portal.
- Stop sending funds immediately, refuse demands to pay additional fees to release your balance, and cease all contact with the recruiters, as any further cryptocurrency you transfer will simply be retained by the perpetrators.
- Preserve comprehensive records of the fraud, including full chat logs, recruitment adverts, web addresses of the task portals, transaction hashes, and every external deposit address you were instructed to transfer funds towards.
- Report the incident promptly to Action Fraud or Police Scotland, alert your UK bank if you bought the cryptocurrency using a debit card or bank transfer, and notify the compliance desk of the exchange used.
- An onchain trace can map where your stolen funds travelled and identify any exchange deposit addresses that received them, but it cannot automatically compel an external service to return the assets without formal legal intervention.
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Written by the Wallsec investigations team. General information only, not legal or financial advice.
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