If your cryptocurrency was stolen through a scam, exchange hack, or investment fraud, reporting to the right authorities is critical — both for your own case and to protect others from the same criminals. This guide tells you exactly where to report crypto fraud in every major jurisdiction, with direct links and practical advice on what to include in each report.

Report to Multiple Agencies

Don't choose just one agency. Report to all relevant agencies in your jurisdiction — multiple reports increase the chance of action, and aggregated reports from multiple victims are more likely to trigger a dedicated investigation. Most agencies also share intelligence internationally.

Before You Report: What to Prepare

The quality of your report determines how seriously it is taken and whether investigators can act on it. Before filing any report, gather the following:

If you have a professional blockchain forensic report from BlockTrace or another firm, include this with every report. It dramatically increases the credibility and actionability of your submission.

🇺🇸 United States

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United StatesPrimary Reporting Agencies
  • FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) — ic3.gov
    The primary federal reporting portal for all internet-enabled crime including crypto fraud. File a detailed report including all transaction hashes and wallet addresses. IC3 shares reports with federal, state, and international law enforcement.
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — reportfraud.ftc.gov
    Essential for investment fraud and romance scams. FTC shares reports with 3,000+ law enforcement partners. Also report at consumer.ftc.gov for consumer protection tracking.
  • Secret Service — Electronic Crimes Task Force
    For losses over $50,000 or cases involving organised crime. Contact your nearest USSS field office. The Secret Service has specific crypto fraud expertise and international reach.
  • Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) — cftc.gov/complaints
    For cases involving crypto futures, trading platforms, or investment products. CFTC has broad jurisdiction over crypto commodity fraud.
  • Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) — sec.gov/tcr
    If the fraudulent investment was presented as a security or investment contract (most fake crypto investment platforms qualify). SEC has enforcement authority and can freeze assets.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

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United KingdomPrimary Reporting Agencies
  • Action Fraud — actionfraud.police.uk
    The UK's national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre. File online at actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. Cases are reviewed by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) and referred to police.
  • Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) — fca.org.uk/consumers/report-scam
    Report any fraudulent investment platform or financial promotion. The FCA maintains a warning list of known scam firms and can sanction regulated entities that cooperate with scammers.
  • National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) — report.ncsc.gov.uk
    For phishing, malware, and wallet hacking cases. The NCSC takes down malicious websites and shares intelligence with law enforcement.
  • Your Bank's Fraud Team
    Critical: UK banks have mandatory reimbursement obligations under the Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud rules (effective 2024). If you sent money from a UK bank account to buy crypto for a scammer, report to your bank immediately for potential reimbursement of up to £85,000.

🇦🇺 Australia

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AustraliaPrimary Reporting Agencies
  • Scamwatch (ACCC) — scamwatch.gov.au
    Australia's primary scam reporting agency. Operated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Your report contributes to scam tracking data and may trigger alerts to warn other Australians.
  • ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission) — asic.gov.au/report-misconduct
    Report investment fraud, fake trading platforms, and unlicensed financial services. ASIC has authority to investigate and prosecute crypto investment fraud under Australian financial services law.
  • Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) — cyber.gov.au/report
    For hacking, malware, and wallet compromise cases. The ACSC coordinates with the AFP and state police on cybercrime.
  • State Police Cybercrime Units
    NSW Police, Victoria Police, Queensland Police, and other state forces all have dedicated cybercrime units. For large losses, contact your state police directly in addition to national agencies.

🇸🇬 Singapore

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SingaporePrimary Reporting Agencies
  • Singapore Police Force (SPF) — police.gov.sg
    File via the e-Police Report system at epolice.gov.sg. For urgent cases (recent theft), call 999. The SPF's Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) works directly with financial institutions to freeze accounts.
  • Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) — mas.gov.sg/investor-alert-list
    Report unregulated investment platforms and unlicensed financial services. MAS maintains an Investor Alert List of known problematic entities and has strong crypto regulatory authority in Singapore.
  • ScamShield Helpline — 1799
    Singapore's dedicated anti-scam helpline. Can provide guidance on reporting and connect you with the appropriate agencies based on your case type.

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

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Hong KongPrimary Reporting Agencies
  • Hong Kong Police Force — Cybercrime Division
    Report online at eReportCyberCrime.hk or visit your nearest police station. For investment fraud, the Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB) handles cases. Call 2527 7177 for non-emergency enquiries.
  • Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) — sfc.hk
    Report fraudulent investment platforms and unlicensed exchanges. The SFC has specific jurisdiction over crypto assets classified as securities and can refer matters to police.
  • Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (ADCC) — 18222
    The ADCC is a joint police-banking initiative that can intercept bank transfers and freeze exchange accounts linked to fraud. Call immediately if funds have been transferred recently.

🇪🇺 European Union

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European UnionPrimary Reporting Agencies
  • EUROPOL — EC3 (European Cybercrime Centre) — europol.europa.eu
    For cross-border cases, contact via your national police. EC3 coordinates international crypto fraud investigations across EU member states and has specialist blockchain analysis capabilities.
  • Your National Police Cybercrime Unit
    Each EU member state has a dedicated cybercrime unit: BKA (Germany), OCLCTIC (France), Polícia Judiciária (Portugal), Guardia Civil (Spain), KLPD (Netherlands), etc. File a detailed report including all blockchain evidence.
  • Your National Financial Regulator
    Report fraudulent investment platforms to your national financial regulator — BaFin (Germany), AMF (France), AFM (Netherlands), CNMV (Spain), etc. MiCA regulations (2024) have strengthened crypto fraud enforcement across the EU.

Tips for Making Your Report Effective

Law enforcement agencies receive thousands of crypto fraud reports. Here's how to make yours stand out and get action:

  1. Include a blockchain forensic report if you have one. Reports backed by professional forensics analysis are far more likely to result in action.
  2. Provide specific blockchain data — not just "I sent Bitcoin to a scammer." Include specific TXIDs, wallet addresses, and exchange names.
  3. Quantify precisely. State exact amounts in both cryptocurrency and local currency equivalent at the time of transfer.
  4. Link multiple victims if known. If you know others who were scammed by the same platform or individual, coordinating your reports significantly increases priority.
  5. Follow up. Report reference numbers are not enough. Follow up every 2–3 weeks with the investigating agency to confirm your case has been assigned and ask for status updates.
  6. Report in parallel to civil attorneys. For losses over $50,000, engaging a crypto litigation attorney alongside law enforcement reports dramatically expands your options and speeds the process.
Beware of "Recovery Agents" Claiming to Work with Authorities

Scammers frequently impersonate law enforcement or government recovery agents, targeting known fraud victims. No legitimate authority will charge you a fee to recover your funds or contact you unsolicited through Telegram or WhatsApp. If someone claims to be working with the FBI, FCA, or another agency on your case and asks for payment, it is a secondary scam.

After Reporting: What Comes Next

Filing a report with law enforcement is an important step, but it is rarely sufficient on its own for crypto recovery. Here's what to do in parallel:

Need a Forensic Report for Your Law Enforcement Filing?

A court-admissible blockchain forensic report dramatically increases the effectiveness of police and regulator reports. We produce reports to evidence standards for all major jurisdictions.

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