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If you think a crypto exchange account or your funds have been compromised, stop responding to suspicious messages, contact the exchange through its independently verified website or app, and secure the email and login routes tied to the account. A suspicious message does not prove the exchange itself was hacked: the problem may be an individual account takeover, compromised email or device, or a broader incident confirmed by the exchange. Act promptly, save transaction evidence, and report the incident through the appropriate channels.
First, work out what may have been compromised
These scenarios can overlap, but separating them helps you focus your response:
- Your exchange login: You see unfamiliar sign-ins, profile changes, or withdrawals. Treat the account as compromised and contact the provider.
- Your email, phone, or device: An attacker may use access to a linked email account to reset passwords, or may have access to your device. Secure those routes as well as the exchange login.
- The exchange itself: A broader security incident should be treated as confirmed only when the exchange reports it through a verified channel or reliable evidence establishes it. Follow the exchange’s official incident guidance, while still protecting your own account.
Whether funds remain in the exchange account, a transfer is pending, or assets have moved on-chain can affect what response options exist. An exchange’s freeze, withdrawal-review, and reimbursement procedures vary; the available sources do not establish a universal remedy.
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If someone unexpectedly says your exchange account is compromised, pause before replying, clicking a link, calling a supplied number, downloading an app, or sharing a code. Scammers may impersonate exchange staff and create urgency. Find the exchange’s official website or phone number independently, rather than using details in the message.
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- Effortlessly build your crypto portfolio via the all in one Ledger Wallet app: buy, sell, send, receive, swap, stake and more across popular blockchains. 15,000+ coins & tokens in a single dashboard. Keep a close eye on the market. Compare service providers. Track performance. Get timely alerts. Build your portfolio with confidence.
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FBI/IC3’s August 1, 2024 advisory says: “If anyone asks for your account log-in information at any point, do not provide it.” Do not disclose passwords, one-time authentication codes, private keys, or seed phrases. Do not move funds to a supposed “safe wallet” because an unsolicited caller or message tells you to, and do not install remote-access software at a stranger’s direction. Read the FBI/IC3 advisory on exchange impersonation.
2. Contact the exchange through a verified channel
Open the official app or type in the website address yourself. Use the provider’s official support or security-reporting process to say that your account or assets may be compromised. Include when you noticed the issue and relevant transaction details, and keep the case number and replies.
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Ask whether the exchange can restrict account access, secure the login, review withdrawals, or explain any incident-specific recovery process. These are questions, not guaranteed features. If you made a fraudulent crypto payment, the FTC advises: “Contact the cryptocurrency exchange or ATM operator immediately.” Tell the provider it was fraudulent and ask whether it can reverse and refund the transaction. The FTC cautions that crypto payments do not have the same legal protections as credit and debit card payments, so recovery can be difficult; asking does not guarantee a reversal. See the FTC’s scam-response guidance.
3. Secure the exchange account, email, and device
Exchange login
If you can still sign in, change the exchange password to a new, unique one. Change it anywhere else you reused it. Sign out other devices or sessions if the exchange offers that option, enable available two-factor authentication (2FA), and check that the recovery email address and phone number belong to you. Use the exchange’s official account-recovery process if you are locked out.
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Linked email and phone
Secure the email account used to recover the exchange account: change its password, enable available 2FA, and review recovery details and forwarding rules. If you cannot access it, use the email provider’s official recovery process. Access to your email may let an attacker request password-reset links for other accounts. Review the phone number and other recovery methods linked to the exchange for changes you did not make.
Possibly compromised device
If your computer or phone may have been accessed, avoid sensitive logins from it until its security software is up to date and a scan is complete. FTC guidance recommends updating security software and scanning a device after a scammer accessed it. See the FTC’s guidance on hacked accounts.
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4. Preserve evidence safely
Save what may help the exchange or investigators trace the incident. Keep the original messages rather than deleting or altering them; where possible, preserve email headers as well as screenshots.
- Date and time of suspicious sign-ins, messages, and transactions.
- Cryptocurrency type and amount, sending and receiving wallet addresses, and transaction ID or hash.
- Exchange account details, support case numbers, exchange notices, and relevant emails or texts.
Give sensitive evidence only through an independently verified support or reporting channel. Do not post identity documents, passwords, one-time codes, private keys, or seed phrases publicly. FBI/IC3 says to submit a report even if transaction information is missing. See FBI/IC3’s guidance for cryptocurrency scam victims.
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5. Report the incident and protect other accounts
In the United States, report suspected crypto fraud promptly to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3); the FBI also identifies local field offices as a reporting route. Include the transaction details you have, but do not delay a report solely because some information is missing. The FTC lists the FTC, CFTC, SEC, IC3, and the exchange used to send funds among possible reporting channels for cryptocurrency scams. Which regulator is relevant depends on the facts; that list does not mean every exchange or token is overseen by every agency. The CFTC’s digital-asset fraud guidance describes complaint routes for matters involving digital assets or derivatives.
These are U.S. routes. If you are elsewhere, contact the appropriate local police, financial regulator, or cybercrime agency. If bank or card details were exposed, contact the relevant financial institution promptly. If identity details were misused, the CFTC’s guidance discusses credit-report fraud alerts and security freezes as possible protective steps.
6. Watch for recovery scams
After a theft, someone may claim they can retrieve your crypto for an upfront tax, unlock charge, or recovery fee. Do not pay or give them wallet credentials, a seed phrase, remote access, or more funds. The FBI warns that people claiming they can recover stolen cryptocurrency may be running another scam. Report suspicious approaches through official channels, and do not trust unsolicited promises of guaranteed recovery.
Can you get stolen crypto back?
Sometimes a provider may be able to help, but no source cited here promises that a transaction can be reversed, funds can be frozen, or losses reimbursed. Contact the exchange immediately and ask what it can do; the FTC says recovery can be difficult. Preserve transaction details and report promptly, but treat guaranteed-recovery claims as a warning sign.
FBI/IC3’s August 24, 2023 guidance says: “If you do not have transaction information, please still submit a report to the FBI IC3 and provide as much information as you have.”
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