I think I've been scammed. What do I do?
- Report to the local police station.
- Notify all parties involved. Think of your bank, broker and/or exchange.
- Change any account or wallet passwords that have been compromised.
How do you recognise scams? It is good to realise that bitcoin-related scams and fraud do not pertain to the Bitcoin network itself, rather that scammers might use it to send funds. Please note that the Bitcoin network cannot be hacked, but individuals and companies can be. Scammers are basically after your money. They will likely try to access devices, your bank account or wallet.
Do you have your own bitcoin wallet? Never give your seed phrase to someone else.
Be wary that there are inherent risks to storing bitcoins on a website, at an exchange or in an account of a service provider. It’s safest to store the bitcoins in a wallet that you created yourself.
Is someone offering to send you cryptocurrency if you send a (small) amount first? Scammers can use this tactic to defraud you.
Is a company or other party asking you to pay an invoice in bitcoin? That is not common and often scam.
- Does a seller on an online marketplace ask if you want to pay in bitcoin? Then realize the risk of fraud and ask yourself whether the counterparty can be trusted.
Scammers not only operate over the internet, but they sometimes approach people by telephone or in person. They come across as friendly and helpful and can go a long way in instilling trust.
* Never trust a phone call you don't expect.
Do not trust messages on online platforms about great profits or trading bots. When you give them your contact information you will be bombarded with phonecalls of fraudulent parties.
Bitonic does not engage in telephone acquisition.
Four simple rules to avoid scams:
Never give anyone you don't know access to your devices. (scammers might ask you to install software like anydesk or teamviewer)
Never share login details or passwords with anyone.
Never allow anyone you do not know or trust personally to create an account, install software, or transact for you.
Only send bitcoins to yourself and not to someone else's address or a wallet that has not been created by yourself.