Crypto Scam Risk Checker: 12 Red-Flag Questions
Answer 12 yes-or-no questions about a crypto offer, contact or platform to see its scam risk level, with next steps and where to report fraud in the US and UK.
Tick every statement that is true for the offer, contact or platform you are checking. If you are not sure, tick it. Your answers stay on this page: nothing is sent or saved.
How it started
What they promise or ask
What is happening now
Next steps
- Keep verifying. Look up the company or person yourself, never share your recovery phrase, and run this check again if anything changes.
- Pause. Do not send money or crypto until you have checked the person and the platform using contact details you found yourself, not ones they gave you.
- Stop sending money or crypto. Do not pay any "release fee", tax or deposit to withdraw: paying will not unlock your funds.
- Never share your recovery phrase or allow remote access. If you already did, move what is left to a new wallet set up on a clean device.
- Talk it over with someone you trust who is not involved.
- Save evidence: screenshots, usernames, website addresses, wallet addresses, transaction IDs (hashes), dates and amounts.
- Contact your bank, card issuer or exchange right away; they may be able to stop or flag payments.
- Report it. US: the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. UK: Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk (England, Wales and Northern Ireland; it replaced Action Fraud) or Police Scotland on 101. Elsewhere: your local police.
- Be wary of anyone who offers to recover your crypto for a fee. Recovery scams target people who have just lost money.
How to use this calculator
- Think of one specific offer, contact or platform.
- Tick every statement that is true. If you are not sure, tick it; a false alarm costs less than a missed warning.
- Read the risk level and the next steps, which change with the level.
Nothing you tick leaves the page. The checker runs in your browser and does not send or store your answers. For the reasoning behind each question, see how to spot a crypto scam.
How it’s calculated
Each statement carries a weight. The four critical statements are classic signs of fraud on their own.
| Statement | Weight |
|---|---|
| Asked for your recovery phrase, a private key or remote access | 5 (critical) |
| Told to pay a fee, tax or deposit before you can withdraw | 5 (critical) |
| Promised guaranteed or fixed high returns | 5 (critical) |
| Asked to send crypto to receive more back | 5 (critical) |
| Can’t withdraw, or withdrawals keep being delayed | 4 |
| Asked to pay through a crypto ATM or gift cards | 4 |
| Impersonation of a celebrity, company, support team or agency | 4 |
| Recommended by someone you only know online | 4 |
| Unsolicited contact by DM, dating app or “wrong number” text | 3 |
| Pressure to act fast or keep it secret | 3 |
| Asked to recruit friends or family | 3 |
| App not from an official store, or an unfamiliar website | 3 |
The level comes from the first rule that matches, checked from the top:
``` S = sum of weights for ticked statements (maximum 48) K = number of critical statements ticked
Very high: S ≥ 10, or K ≥ 2 High: S from 6 to 9, or K = 1 Elevated: S from 1 to 5, with K = 0 Low: S = 0 ```
Any critical “yes” forces at least High. The FTC says only scammers guarantee profits or demand payment in crypto, and a promise to send back more than you send is the core of crypto giveaway scams.
Worked example
Suppose someone you met on a dating app (3) recommends a trading platform (4). Your account shows strong gains, but when you try to withdraw you are told to pay a “tax” first (5, critical), and your withdrawals keep being delayed (4).
- S = 3 + 4 + 5 + 4 = 16, with K = 1.
- S is at least 10, so the result is Very high.
This is the pattern the FBI describes in crypto investment fraud, often called pig butchering: a relationship built online, a platform that shows large profits, then an account frozen until you pay “taxes” or “fees”.
For comparison, an unsolicited message on its own scores 3 (Elevated). Add a promise of fixed high returns, which is a critical statement, and the score becomes 8 (High).
At High or Very high, the checker lists next steps: stop sending money, do not pay any “release fee”, save evidence (wallet addresses, amounts, transaction IDs and dates), contact your bank or exchange, and report it. As of September 2026, that means the FTC and the FBI’s IC3 in the US, and Report Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which replaced Action Fraud in December 2025. In Scotland, the route is Police Scotland on 101. Our guide on how to report a crypto scam covers more countries.
Limitations
- It cannot verify anything. It compares your answers with common scam patterns; it does not investigate a person or platform.
- Scams change quickly, and a new approach may not trigger any of these questions. A Low result is not proof that an offer is safe.
- The weights are editorial judgment based on regulator warnings, not measured probabilities.
- It is not a legal finding that fraud occurred.
- Be wary of anyone who offers to recover lost crypto for a fee. Recovery scams target people who have just lost money.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if a crypto platform is a scam?
Look for the patterns regulators warn about: guaranteed or unusually high returns, pressure to act quickly, contact that started with a stranger online, and trouble withdrawing. A demand to pay a fee or tax before you can withdraw is one of the strongest signs. No single check proves a platform is legitimate, so verify it independently, using contact details you find yourself rather than ones you were given.
Is it normal to pay a tax or fee before withdrawing crypto?
A sudden demand to pay taxes, fees or a deposit before you can withdraw is a hallmark of crypto investment fraud. The FBI describes victims finding their accounts frozen until they pay such charges, and paying does not release the money. Legitimate platforms disclose their fees in advance. Stop sending money, save your records and report the platform.
Where do I report a crypto scam?
In the US, report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. As of September 2026, people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland use Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk, which replaced Action Fraud in December 2025; in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. Elsewhere, contact your local police, and tell the bank or exchange you used.
Can anyone recover crypto lost to a scam?
Recovery is rare and never guaranteed. Be very wary of anyone who promises to get your crypto back for an up-front fee: the FBI warns that people who lose money to crypto fraud are often targeted next by fake recovery services. Report the theft to law enforcement and to any exchange that received the funds, and keep every record of the transfers.
Related guides
Sources
- What To Know About Cryptocurrency and Scams — Federal Trade Commission — Consumer Advice
- Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud — Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Cryptocurrency — FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Report Fraud service goes live with full public launch in January 2026 — City of London Police
This content is for education only and is not financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Crypto assets are volatile and you can lose money. Examples use hypothetical numbers. See our disclaimer and editorial policy.