ConAlert

Where recovered money actually comes from

Public pressure can get a platform to act faster, but the channels below are what actually have the power to reverse a payment, freeze a platform's accounts, or force disclosure. File with the relevant ones for your situation in addition to submitting a case here.

This is a general starting-point list, not legal advice, and coverage varies a lot by country and by how you paid. If a large amount is involved, a consultation with a consumer-protection or fraud lawyer in your country is worth the cost.

If you paid by card or bank transfer

  • Card network chargeback (Visa / Mastercard dispute)
    Contact your card issuer directly — most allow disputes for goods/services not received or account access denied within 120 days of the transaction. Keep your evidence organized before you call.
  • Your bank's fraud department
    For bank transfers, ask specifically about a "recall" or "indemnity claim" — terminology varies by country and bank.

If you paid or were paid in crypto

  • The exchange's own compliance / AML team
    A formal written complaint (not just live chat) citing specific transaction hashes creates a paper trail and is often what internal escalation actually needs.
  • Blockchain analysis / tracing
    If funds moved on-chain after being frozen or withdrawn without your authorization, a tracing report can support a law-enforcement report.
  • Chainabuse.com
    A free, community-run registry for reporting crypto addresses and services tied to scams — useful for building a public record and for exchanges that check it before onboarding.

Government and regulatory bodies

  • United States — IC3 (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center)
    ic3.gov — file for any online fraud, including crypto and gambling platforms. Also consider the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) and, for licensed exchanges, FinCEN.
  • United Kingdom — Action Fraud
    actionfraud.police.uk — the UK's national fraud reporting service; also notify the FCA if the platform claims UK authorization.
  • European Union
    Report to your national financial regulator and consumer-protection authority; the European Consumer Centre network (ECC-Net) can help with cross-border cases.
  • Elsewhere
    Search "[your country] cybercrime unit" or "[your country] financial regulator complaint" — most countries have a dedicated online reporting portal. Tell us your country when you submit a case and we'll try to point you to the right one.

Public pressure channels

  • Trustpilot / platform-specific review sites
    A detailed, factual review (dates, amounts, what support said) is often the fastest thing a platform's support team actually reacts to.
  • Relevant subreddits
    e.g. r/CryptoCurrency, r/Scams, r/Bitcoin, or a platform-specific community — post facts and evidence, not accusations you can't back up.
  • X and TikTok
    Tagging the platform's official account directly, with screenshots, tends to get faster responses than a support ticket alone.