Who: The SEC handles investment-related fraud and scams.
When to use: Use when the scam involved stocks, investments, or securities.
What to prepare:
- Company or platform
- How you invested
- Amount lost
Category: Financial & banking
Investment & crypto scams
TrendingImportant
If someone promises guaranteed or unusually high returns, it is likely a scam. Do not send more money or "fees" to withdraw—that is part of the scheme.
How it often plays out
Tom sees an ad: “Turn $500 into $5,000 in 30 days with our crypto trading bot.” He signs up, deposits money, and the dashboard shows huge gains. When he tries to withdraw, the site demands more “fees” and “taxes.” He never gets his money back—the platform was fake and the gains were fabricated. Scammers run these sites for weeks or months, then shut them down and disappear with everyone's deposits.
By the numbers
- Investment fraud losses reported to the FTC topped billions in recent years.
- Crypto-related scams are among the fastest-growing categories of fraud.
How to spot it
Common red flags: pressure to act immediately, requests for payment by gift card or wire, offers that seem too good to be true, or unsolicited requests for your personal or financial details.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Stop putting in more money.
- Save everything: platform name, URLs, emails, transaction IDs, and screenshots.
- Report to the SEC (investments), FTC, and IC3.
Don't
- Send additional funds or "fees" to withdraw—it is part of the scam.
- Trust guaranteed or "too good to be true" returns.
- Invest through platforms you have not verified with the SEC or your state regulator.
Summary & what to do
Fake investment offers, crypto schemes, or "too good to be true" returns can lead to serious losses. Report to the SEC, FTC, and IC3.
What to do right now
- Stop putting in more money. Do not send additional funds or "fees" to withdraw.
- Save everything: platform name, URLs, emails, transaction IDs, and screenshots.
- Report to the SEC (investments), FTC, and IC3 (internet crime).
Where to report
Who: The FTC tracks investment and crypto-related scams.
When to use: Use for consumer fraud involving investments or crypto.
What to prepare:
- What was promised
- Amount lost
- Platform or contact
FTC ReportFraud~5 min
Who: The FBI's IC3 handles internet crime including crypto fraud.
When to use: Use when the scam was online or involved cryptocurrency.
What to prepare:
- Wallet addresses
- Platform
- Transactions
Go to IC3~10 min
Frequently asked questions
- The platform says I need to pay "tax" or "fees" to withdraw. Is that normal?
- No. Legitimate platforms do not require you to pay more to withdraw your own money. This is a common tactic to get you to send more. Stop paying and report to the SEC, FTC, and IC3.
- How can I check if an investment opportunity is legitimate?
- Search the SEC's EDGAR database and your state securities regulator. Check for registration and any enforcement actions. Be skeptical of "guaranteed" returns or pressure to act quickly.