Verify a cryptocurrency payment request

Leave the conversation that started the payment

Do not use a phone number, link, email address, or support account supplied in the suspicious message. Open the organization's official website yourself, use a number on a statement or physical card, or contact the person through a channel you already used before this request.

If the requester claims to be a friend or relative, ask a question only that person should answer. Voice and images can be imitated, so contact another trusted person when the story involves an emergency.

Confirm the reason and recipient

Ask what you are paying for, who controls the receiving wallet, and why cryptocurrency is necessary. A legitimate recipient should allow time for those questions and provide a written invoice or payment request when appropriate.

Do not let the requester remain on a call while you contact the supposed organization. End the first call and make the independent contact yourself.

Compare every payment detail

Confirm all of the following with the real recipient:

• the exact currency, such as BTC or USDT;
• the exact network, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum (ERC-20), or Tron (TRC-20);
• the complete wallet address;
• any required destination tag or memo;
• the amount and fees;
• what confirms that the payment is complete.

Read the full address from the final confirmation screen. Do not rely only on the first and last few characters when the payment instructions may have been changed.

Protect the purchase and wallet process

Open purchase providers and wallet apps independently. Do not continue from an advertisement or a link sent by the requester. Never share a recovery phrase, private key, password, or security code.

Use a payment method in your own name and answer provider questions truthfully. Stop if the requester tells you to lie about who the payment is for, choose “personal purchase” when that is untrue, or ignore a fraud warning.

Ask another person before sending

When a request involves urgency, fear, secrecy, a new relationship, remote support, or a large amount, show it to someone you trust. A second person does not need cryptocurrency expertise to notice pressure or a story that does not make sense.

Use the quick checklist

Run the one-minute scam checklist immediately before buying or sending cryptocurrency for a payment request.

Official reference

The CFPB recommends contacting a person through contact information you already trust instead of relying on the incoming message. The FTC similarly advises people not to use links in unexpected messages and to report cryptocurrency scams.