OaksteadREPORTS

Free guide

What happens after you report

What to expect from each place you report, and how to avoid the scams that target victims next.

What to expect

FBI IC3

Reports are shared with law enforcement to build cases. IC3 doesn't give status updates, so you may not hear back.

Local police

You'll get a report number. Keep it: exchanges and attorneys often ask for it.

Your crypto exchange

Report the fraud and keep your ticket number. Exchanges usually freeze accounts only through their own review or a legal order from law enforcement or a court.

An attorney

Find one yourself through your state bar's website. Never hire one who contacted you first.

The apps they used

Save screenshots first, then report their profile in each app. Don't delete the conversation, and tell the officer which apps were involved.

More places you can report

You can also report to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. These reports help track scam trends.

Chainabuse is a public site where you can report the scammer's wallet addresses to warn others. Reports there are public, so share only the scammer's details, never your own.

Records about the scammer's accounts fade over time. Under federal law, an app or online service must preserve records for 90 days when a government agency asks, which is one more reason to file a police report.

Warning signs of a recovery scam

Scammers buy lists of people who already lost money, then offer to get it back. Stop and check if someone:

Law enforcement never charges you to investigate. IC3 never contacts people first and has no social media accounts. If someone says they're from the FBI, hang up and call your local FBI field office using a number from fbi.gov.
Newer tricks the FBI has warned about
  • Fake FBI profiles on social media, AI-generated videos of FBI leaders, and lookalike IC3 websites that hand out fake reference numbers. Type www.ic3.gov yourself and check that it ends in .gov.
  • Fake lawyers who won't do a video call or show a license you can check with the state bar.
  • Real FBI agents do sometimes contact victims, so always verify through a number you looked up yourself.

Check an offer for red flags

If a recovery scammer already reached you

Stop responding and don't send anything. Then report it at www.ic3.gov, and answer Yes to updating a previous complaint if you already filed one.

Age 60 or older, or helping someone who is? The National Elder Fraud Hotline can help: 1-833-372-8311.

We never contact you first, and we don't recover funds.

Build your free IC3 summary

You don't have to handle this alone

Losing money to a scam is painful, and it happens to careful, smart people. Talking to someone can help.

Sources

Based on FBI and FTC guidance, last checked October 2026. Not affiliated with the FBI, IC3, FTC or any government agency.

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