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How to report a Bitcoin scam in the UK

If you think you have been scammed, you are not alone and it is not your fault. Act quickly, report it to the right places, and do not pay anyone who promises to get your money back.

Action Fraud has been replaced. Since 4 December 2025, fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is reported to Report Fraud, online or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. If you are in danger, call 999.

Do this first

1. Stop paying. Do not send any more money or Bitcoin, whatever you are promised or threatened with.
2. Call your bank straight away if you paid by card or bank transfer. Use the number on the back of your card. Faster action can sometimes stop or recover a payment.
3. Secure your accounts. If you shared recovery words, move any remaining coins to a new wallet with new words from a device you trust. Change passwords and turn on two step login.
4. Save the evidence: wallet addresses, transaction IDs, website addresses, usernames, messages and a timeline. Do not delete chats.
5. Do not pay "recovery" firms. See the warning below.

Report it

• England, Wales and Northern Ireland: report to Report Fraud (replaced Action Fraud) online or on 0300 123 2040. You will get a crime reference number. Their Report Fraud: Cryptocurrency investment fraud page explains what to include.
• Scotland: report to Police Scotland on 101 (see Police Scotland: Scams and frauds).
• Your bank or card provider: tell them it was fraud and give the crime reference number.
• The FCA: if a firm or website pretended to be regulated, or you want to warn others, use FCA: Report a scam or unauthorised firm and check the FCA Warning List.
• Scam websites and texts: report websites through NCSC: Report a scam website and forward scam texts to 7726.
• The crypto platform you sent from: report the receiving address. They may be able to flag it.

Reporting may not get your money back, but it helps police link cases and can protect the next person.

Report it on social media

Most crypto scams start on social media or messaging apps. Use the built in report tools on X, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook or TikTok to report the account, advert or group. Block the account after you have saved screenshots.

Recovery scams warning

After a scam, victims are often targeted again by people claiming they can trace and recover stolen Bitcoin for an upfront fee. Some pretend to be lawyers, "blockchain investigators" or even the police. Genuine police and Report Fraud will never ask you to pay to get money back. If someone contacts you out of the blue offering recovery, treat it as a second scam.

How to spot the next one

• Contact you did not ask for, often with a celebrity or a "mentor"
• Pressure to act fast, or to keep it secret from family or your bank
• Promised returns that sound too good to be true
• A request for your recovery words or remote access to your device
• A "fee" or "tax" needed before you can withdraw

Learn the patterns in Avoiding scams, see real cases in exchange hacks, and test your setup with the self-custody check. This site stays free so this help is open to everyone (about our support).

Key takeaways

Official sources

Checked 2 November 2026. Rules change, so always check the latest version.

• Report Fraud (replaced Action Fraud)
• Report Fraud: service goes live (4 December 2025)
• Report Fraud: Cryptocurrency investment fraud
• Police Scotland: Scams and frauds
• FCA: Report a scam or unauthorised firm
• FCA Warning List
• NCSC: Report a scam website
• NCSC: Report scam texts to 7726

Not financial advice. General education only. Bitcoin prices can swing hard. Never put in more than you can afford to lose, and do your own research.