How to report a scam effectively

A good scam report does two jobs at once: it warns the next person who looks up the same address or domain, and it gives investigators something they can actually act on. A weak report — vague, emotional, or missing the identifiers — does neither. This guide explains how to file a report that carries signal.

The goal is not to write the longest report. It is to write the clearest one: precise identifiers, a factual account, and no clutter that could harm you or an innocent third party.

Start with the identifiers that matter

The most valuable part of any report is the set of machine-matchable identifiers — the things another person can paste into a lookup and find your report. Include every one you have:

Crypto addresses, with the chain (BTC, ETH, TRON, and so on). The chain is required for an address to be matched correctly, because the same string can mean different things on different networks.
Domains and URLs of fake platforms, dashboards, or payment pages.
Phone numbers, emails, and social handles used to contact you.
Bank details or payment-service identifiers, where relevant.

Copy these exactly. A single wrong character makes an address unmatchable, which means your warning never reaches the person it was meant to protect. Paste from your records rather than retyping.

Describe what happened, factually

In the description, tell the story in plain, chronological terms:

How contact started (a wrong-number text, a dating-app match, an ad, a job offer).
What you were asked to do (deposit to an address, install an app, pay a "release fee").
What actually happened (funds sent, withdrawals blocked, contact vanished).
Amounts and dates, as precisely as you can.

Stick to facts you can stand behind. Avoid speculation about who is "really" behind it or accusing named individuals you cannot evidence — that weakens the report and can create legal exposure.

Attach evidence that corroborates

Evidence turns a claim into something verifiable. The most useful attachments:

Screenshots of the fake platform, your balance, and the moment a withdrawal was blocked.
Chat logs showing the grooming, the pitch, and the pressure.
Transaction records — the hash, the amount, the timestamp.

Capture this before you are locked out. Scam platforms routinely cut off access once they have taken the money, so screenshot early and keep local copies.

Leave out personal information

This is the part people most often get wrong. A report exists to flag a scammer's identifiers — not to publish yours. Before you submit, strip out:

Your full name, home address, date of birth, or government ID numbers.
Your own wallet addresses or bank account numbers, unless they are essential and you accept they may be visible.
Other victims' personal details, or anything that could identify a bystander.
Long unredacted chat exports that contain private information about you or others.

There are two reasons. First, your safety: a public report can be read by anyone, including the people who targeted you. Second, fairness: our model is deliberately low-PII and report-centric — we want the scam pattern, not a dossier on you. Redact screenshots so they show the scam without exposing you.

Choose public or private deliberately

When you submit, you choose a visibility:

Public reports are the default and the most useful to the community. They appear on the relevant entity pages so the next person who looks up that address or domain sees your warning. Choose public when the report is about scam identifiers and you have removed personal information.
Private reports are visible to our review team but not published openly. Choose private when the situation is sensitive, when you are unsure about what can be safely disclosed, or when you want the information on file without it being broadcast.

If in doubt, you can start private and ask for it to be made public later, once any personal details are removed.

What happens after you submit

Once filed, your report is associated with the identifiers it names. Other people looking up those addresses or domains can see it, and it contributes to the confidence picture on each entity page. Reports from reporters with a strong track record carry more weight — see our guide on how to read a crypto address report for how badges and confidence work.

You can edit your own report if you remember more detail or need to redact something, and you can withdraw it. If someone believes your report names them or an address in error, they can raise a dispute, which our team reviews — so accuracy protects everyone, including you.

A quick checklist before you hit submit

Every crypto address includes the correct chain.
Domains, handles, phone numbers, and emails are copied exactly.
The description is factual and chronological.
Screenshots and transaction records are attached.
Your personal information has been removed or redacted.
You have chosen public or private on purpose.

A clear, well-evidenced, low-PII report is the most useful thing you can leave behind. It costs you a few extra minutes — and it can stop the next person from losing everything. When you are ready, file your report.