Quick cryptocurrency payment scam checklist

Stop if any of these are true

• The person contacted you unexpectedly and now wants cryptocurrency.
• They say you must act immediately or something bad will happen.
• They tell you to keep the payment secret or avoid speaking to family, bank staff, or store staff.
• They want you to buy cryptocurrency to protect money, fix an account, pay a government office, receive a prize, start a job, or recover an earlier loss.
• They insist on staying on the phone or controlling each step.
• They supplied a wallet QR code or address but will not let you verify it independently.
• They tell you to ignore a warning or give an inaccurate answer to the provider.
• They ask for a recovery phrase, private key, password, security code, screen sharing, or remote access.
• A familiar invoice, email account, or social profile suddenly provides a new wallet address.
• They refuse an independent call or verification through contact details you already trust.

Check the payment itself

Before approving a legitimate payment, confirm:

1. Person or business: You contacted the recipient independently.
2. Purpose: You understand what the payment is for and what proves completion.
3. Currency: The symbol and name match the request.
4. Network: Sender and recipient use the same network.
5. Destination: The full wallet address and any required tag or memo match.
6. Amount and fees: You reviewed both before approving.
7. No wallet access: Nobody else received recovery information, passwords, codes, or remote control.

One warning sign is enough to pause. A genuine recipient can wait while you verify the request.

If you are still unsure

Do not send a smaller amount as proof of trust. Do not ask the requester to verify themselves using the same account that contacted you. Show the request to someone you trust and use the full verification steps.

If money or account information has already been shared, follow what to do after a scam now.

Official references

This checklist reflects warning signs published by the US Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Use the official consumer-protection and fraud-reporting resources for your own country when you need local instructions.