A client lost $87,000 in a pig butchering scam. She went to her local police station and filed a report. The officer took down the details, gave her a case number, and told her someone would be in touch. Nobody called. She followed up after a week — the officer said the case had been referred to a specialist unit but he did not know which one. After three weeks of silence, she contacted us. We helped her refile the report with the correct agency, include the right evidence, and follow up with the appropriate specialist unit. Within a week of the refiled report, an investigator was assigned to her case. The difference was not the amount or the severity of the crime — it was how the report was filed.

Reporting crypto crime to police is the first and most important step in recovery. A police report is required for almost every recovery action: exchange freeze requests, Norwich Pharmacal orders, stablecoin issuer appeals, and international legal assistance. But filing a police report that actually gets investigated requires knowing which agency to contact, what evidence to include, and how to follow up. In this article, I provide a practical guide for reporting crypto crime in the major jurisdictions where our clients are based.

Why a police report matters

Before we get into the specifics, let me explain why a police report is so important. Even if you do not expect the police to investigate your case (and many crypto fraud cases do go uninvestigated), the police report itself is a critical legal document. It serves as:

Which agency to contact

The most common mistake victims make is reporting to the wrong agency. Most local police departments do not have the expertise or jurisdiction to investigate cryptocurrency fraud. Crypto crime is typically handled by specialized units at the national or federal level. Here is where to report in each major jurisdiction:

United States: FBI IC3

In the United States, the primary agency for crypto crime is the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The IC3 is an online portal where victims can file complaints about internet-enabled crime, including cryptocurrency fraud. The IC3 reviews complaints and refers them to the appropriate FBI field office for investigation.

For large losses (over $100,000), also consider contacting the US Secret Service, which has a cyber fraud unit. For losses involving securities or derivatives (including some crypto tokens), the SEC's enforcement division may be appropriate.

United Kingdom: Action Fraud

In the United Kingdom, the primary reporting point for crypto crime is Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting center. Action Fraud is operated by the City of London Police and is the central repository for fraud reports.

For large losses, also consider reporting to the NCA directly (through their cryptoassets team) and to the FCA (if the scam involved a regulated investment product).

Germany: Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and local police

In Germany, crypto crime can be reported to the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA, the federal criminal police) or to the local police (Kriminalpolizei). For online fraud, the BKA operates the Zentral- und Ansprechpunkt Cybercrime (ZAC), which is the central contact point for cybercrime.

Also consider reporting to the BaFin (Federal Financial Supervisory Authority) if the scam involved an unlicensed financial service. BaFin does not investigate criminal fraud, but it can take regulatory action against the scammers if they operated in Germany.

Switzerland: FedPol and cantonal police

In Switzerland, crypto crime is reported to the cantonal police (where the victim resides) or to the Federal Office of Police (FedPol). FedPol has a cybercrime unit (the Cybercrime Competence Center, CC CSC) that coordinates international cybercrime investigations.

For Swiss victims, also consider reporting to FINMA if the scam involved a FINMA-licensed entity or an unlicensed entity operating in Switzerland. FINMA does not investigate criminal fraud, but it can take regulatory action.

Other jurisdictions

For other jurisdictions, the general rule is to contact the national cybercrime unit or the federal police. Most countries now have a dedicated cybercrime reporting portal:

What evidence to include

The quality of your police report determines whether it gets investigated. A vague report ("I was scammed out of Bitcoin") will be filed and forgotten. A detailed report with specific evidence will be taken seriously. Here is what to include:

See our crypto evidence checklist for a more detailed guide on what to preserve.

How to follow up

Filing the report is only the first step. To keep your case active, you need to follow up:

What to do if the police do not investigate

In many cases, the police will not investigate — particularly for smaller losses (under $50,000). Law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed with crypto fraud reports and prioritize cases based on the amount, the complexity, and the likelihood of recovery. If your case is not investigated, do not give up — you can still pursue recovery through private channels:

The police report is still valuable even if it is not investigated. It establishes the crime, the timeline, and the amount — all of which are needed for private recovery efforts. And if the case is later reopened (e.g., because the same scammer defrauds other victims and a pattern emerges), your report is on file.

Case study: the difference a well-filed report makes

Two clients were defrauded by the same scammer within the same week. Client A filed a report with her local police, who took down the details but did not refer it to a specialist unit. Client B contacted us first, and we helped her file a report with the FBI IC3 that included: (1) a TRM Labs forensic report tracing the funds to a Binance deposit address, (2) the scammer's wallet addresses and transaction hashes, (3) screenshots of all correspondence, and (4) a timeline of events.

Client B's report was referred to an FBI field office within 3 days. An investigator was assigned within 2 weeks. The investigator contacted Binance with a formal legal request, obtained the account holder's identity, and coordinated with the Department of Justice to seize the funds. Client B recovered approximately 70% of her loss within 4 months.

Client A's report was never investigated. By the time Client A contacted us (3 months after the fraud), the funds had been cashed out and were unrecoverable. The difference was not the amount (both clients lost similar amounts) or the severity of the crime — it was the quality of the police report and the speed of the follow-up.

This case illustrates a critical point: the police report is not just a formality. It is the foundation of your recovery effort. A well-prepared report, filed with the right agency, can make the difference between recovery and total loss.

Common mistakes in reporting crypto crime

In my practice, I see the same mistakes repeated by victims when they file police reports. Here are the most common ones and how to avoid them:

The relationship between police reports and private recovery

Many victims assume that they must choose between reporting to the police and pursuing private recovery. This is a misconception — the two are complementary. A police report strengthens your private recovery efforts (exchanges take freeze requests more seriously when they are backed by a police report), and private recovery efforts can provide information that strengthens the police investigation (e.g., a forensic report that traces the funds to an exchange).

The optimal strategy is to do both simultaneously: file the police report immediately, and at the same time, engage a forensic firm to trace the funds and a lawyer to file freeze requests and civil legal actions. The police investigation may take months or may not happen at all, but the private recovery efforts can produce results within days or weeks. And if the police do investigate, your private efforts have already done much of the groundwork — the tracing, the identification of the exchange, and the initial freeze request — which the police can build on.

The bottom line

Reporting crypto crime to police is essential — not just for criminal investigation, but for all recovery efforts. The police report serves as the legal foundation for freeze requests, court orders, and regulatory complaints. Without it, your recovery options are significantly limited. With it, you have a credible, documented basis for every legal action you pursue. File with the correct agency (FBI IC3 in the US, Action Fraud in the UK, BKA in Germany, FedPol in Switzerland), include detailed evidence (wallet addresses, transaction hashes, correspondence, forensic report), and follow up regularly. The quality of your report and the speed of your follow-up can make the difference between recovery and total loss. If the police do not investigate, pursue private recovery through freeze requests, civil legal action, and regulatory complaints. The combination of a well-filed police report and parallel private recovery efforts gives you the best chance of getting your funds back.

If you have been a victim of crypto fraud and need help filing a police report or pursuing recovery, contact us. We can prepare the evidence, identify the correct agency, and coordinate with law enforcement on your behalf. We can also pursue parallel private recovery through freeze requests, Norwich Pharmacal orders, and coordination with blockchain forensic firms — maximizing your chances of recovery regardless of whether the police investigate. Do not wait — every hour you delay is an hour the scammer has to move your funds further out of reach.

N. Silinevics
Nils Silinevics Crypto Compliance Counsel · Former FIU Investigator · Valken Legal AG