UK help hub
Cryptocurrency fraud in the UK: everything we publish, in order
If you have just lost funds, work through these in sequence. Each section covers one stage — acting immediately, reporting it properly, understanding how the loss happened, having the movement of funds traced, and pursuing a return through lawful routes. Nothing here is a promise of an outcome.
1. The first 24 hours
What to stop doing, what to save, and the order to act in. Evidence disappears quickly when accounts are closed and apps deleted.
What 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.
Read what to do in the first 24 hours after a cryptocurrency scamWhat 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.
Read what to do if you sent cryptocurrency to a fraudsterWhat 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.
Read what to preserve in the first 48 hours after a cryptocurrency loss
2. Reporting it in the UK
Action Fraud, Police Scotland, your bank and the exchange each need something different. Here is what each one does with a report.
How 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.
Read how to report a cryptocurrency scam in the uk, step by stepReporting 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.
Read reporting cryptocurrency fraud in the uk: who to contact and in what orderWhat 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.
Read what happens after you report cryptocurrency fraud to action fraudAction 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.
Read action fraud or a private investigation: which does what
3. Understanding what happened
The patterns behind most UK losses, so you can describe the case accurately and recognise a follow-up attempt.
Common 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.
Read common cryptocurrency scams in the uk and how the money movesPig 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.
Read pig butchering scams: how the long con works and how funds are tracedWallet 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.
Read wallet drainers and token approvals: how they work and what to doSecond-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.
Read second-wave fraud: why victims are targeted twiceHow 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.
Read how to check if a cryptocurrency website is fake
4. How tracing works
What the public record can and cannot show, network by network, and where a trace realistically ends.
How 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.
Read how stolen bitcoin is traced, step by stepHow 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.
Read how to trace a bitcoin transactionCan 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.
Read can stolen usdt be traced, and can it be frozen?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.
Read how usdt tracing works on tron and ethereumWhat 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.
Read what an onchain evidence pack contains
5. Pursuing a return of funds
Transfers cannot be reversed. Funds are nonetheless returned in some cases, through exchanges, courts and law enforcement acting on evidence.
Can 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.
Read can stolen cryptocurrency be recovered?How 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.
Read how to ask an exchange to freeze stolen cryptocurrencyBank 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.
Read bank fraud vs cryptocurrency fraud: why the outcomes differSolicitor 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.
Read solicitor or investigator first? choosing the right order
6. Choosing a firm safely
How to check a firm is real, what a professional quote looks like, and the fee patterns that signal a second fraud.
Are 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.
Read are cryptocurrency recovery services legitimate?How 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.
Read how to assess a cryptocurrency investigation firm in the ukWhat 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.
Read what cryptocurrency investigation services cost in the uk
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The first review is free, the scope is agreed in writing, and Wallsec never holds client funds.