After sending crypto to a scam
You sent cryptocurrency to a scammer and want to know what still helps.
Updated 2026-09-29 · Independent resource. Legal review pending.
Stop sending anything more
If you are still in contact with the platform or the person who received the crypto, stop replying and stop sending anything further. Any message asking for one more payment to unlock a withdrawal is part of the same scam.
This applies even if the balance shown on the platform looks larger than what you sent. That number is not real until it is in a wallet you control.
Acting on this first stops the loss from growing while you handle the rest.
Save the wallet address and transaction details
Write down or screenshot the wallet address you sent crypto to, the transaction hash, and the exchange name if one was involved. These details are recorded permanently on the blockchain and are useful evidence even without a real name attached.
Also save the app or website used, the amount and date of each transfer, and every message with the person who contacted you. This becomes the record a police report or an exchange will ask for.
Do this before closing the app or deleting anything, since some platforms restrict access once a dispute is raised.
Contact the exchange if one was used
If the crypto passed through a known exchange, whether yours or the receiving one, contact its support team and report the transaction as fraud. Some exchanges can flag or freeze an account linked to a scam if you report quickly.
Provide the wallet address and transaction hash so the exchange can look into where the funds moved. A blockchain trace can sometimes show this even when the exchange itself is slow to respond.
Report to the police
File a report with the police, including the Commercial Crime Investigation Department, and describe the wallet addresses and platform involved. If any part of the payment went through a Malaysian bank account first, call the National Scam Response Centre on 997.
A civil claim to trace and freeze funds may be worth exploring later if the amount is significant and the receiving wallet or exchange can be identified.
What to do next
Keep every screenshot, wallet address, and message together in one place, since this record matters for however long the case takes. Be cautious of anyone who contacts you afterward offering to recover the crypto for an upfront fee.
For the fuller picture of how this type of scam works, read the crypto scam overview.
If you sent cryptocurrency to a scam and are not sure what to save or report first, tell us what happened and we will help you work through it.
Common questions
Can crypto sent to a scammer be recovered?
It depends on how the funds moved and how fast you act. If the receiving wallet is linked to an exchange, reporting quickly may allow that exchange to freeze the account. Once funds are moved through several wallets, recovery becomes far less likely.
Should I try to trace the wallet myself?
You can note the wallet address and transaction hash, since these are public and useful, but a full trace is better left to the police or a specialist. Reporting what you have is more useful than trying to follow the funds alone.
The platform is still messaging me about withdrawing more. Should I respond?
No. Stop replying and stop sending anything further, even if the message promises a quick fix. Any request for another payment to unlock funds is part of the same scam.
Read next
Where to report a scam
A directory of Malaysia's official scam channels: the National Scam Response Centre, the police, Bank Negara, the Securities Commission, and MCMC.
Read thisWhat to do right after a scam
If you just realised you sent money to a scam, here is the order of first actions: stop paying, call your bank, call 997, and report it.
Read thisAfter a cash deposit machine scam
If you deposited cash into an account as part of a scam, here is why it differs from a transfer, and what to do right away.
Read thisAfter an international transfer to a scam
If you sent money overseas as part of a scam, here is what your Malaysian bank can still try, and why reporting locally still matters.
Read thisIf you sent cryptocurrency to a scam and are not sure what to save or report first, tell us what happened and we will help you work through it.