Freeze order
Updated 2026-09-29
A freeze order is a court order that stops funds in a bank account, or sometimes a crypto exchange account, from being moved, spent, or withdrawn while a dispute is being resolved. It does not transfer the money to the victim. It simply preserves it in place.
This is often applied for urgently once a receiving account has been identified, because scam funds move quickly between accounts once a victim reports the loss. The order is usually sought together with, or as part of, a wider civil claim against a scammer.
A freeze order does not guarantee the money is still there. It only stops further movement from the moment the order takes effect, so speed matters.
When it matters
Acting within days, sometimes hours, of discovering the loss gives a freeze order the best chance of catching funds before they are moved again.
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