How to avoid fake crypto customer support scams
Real crypto support will not ask for your seed phrase, password, or two-factor code, so get help inside the official app and report imposters to the FTC.
Vahe HakobyanEditor-in-chief
Updated Oct 5, 20263 min readFact-checked
On this page
- A recovery phrase is a wallet's master key.
- Remote access hands an imposter your whole device.
- Imposters sell paid recovery offers.
Fake customer support is a common crypto scam. The imposter copies a known wallet or exchange, then asks for a key or a payment.
What real crypto support will not ask
Real support will not ask for your recovery phrase, private key, password, or two-factor code. Those items open the account and the funds in it.
Avoid fake support scams step by step
Start from the app or website you already use, not a search ad or a social link.
- 1Open the official appOpen the wallet or exchange app on your device, or type the company's address yourself. Do not follow an ad or a link from a message.
- 2Ignore unsolicited contactTreat unexpected messages, calls, pop-ups, and emails that offer crypto help as hostile. Someone who writes to you first is not support.
- 3Refuse remote accessDo not let anyone connect to your computer or phone. Do not install software a support agent sends.
What if you already shared information?
If you shared a password and can still sign in, set a new, strong password and turn on two-factor authentication. If you shared a recovery phrase or key, make a new wallet and move the funds you can still reach.
How do you report fake support scams?
If you sent cryptocurrency to a scammer, contact the exchange or ATM operator right away and ask them to undo the fraudulent transaction. Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3. Save the messages and wallet addresses, since the IC3 does not collect evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. A scammer who holds your password and a live two-factor code can sign in as you.
Usually not. Crypto payments lack the protections of credit and debit cards, so the money comes back only if the recipient sends it.
The address alone does not open the account, but it lets an imposter send follow-up messages that look official.
