Scammed in a Telegram or WhatsApp crypto group? What to do now

It usually starts with an invitation to a "VIP" investing group. A "professor" shares trading tips, an "assistant" helps you get started, and other members post their profits every day. You're told to open an account on a particular app and deposit crypto. Your balance grows, until you try to withdraw.

What's really happening

The group is staged. Many of the "members" work for the scammers, and the app is fake. Your deposits went straight to their wallets.

Can you get the money back?

Often there's a real path. Every deposit you made can be followed, and these groups move money through exchanges and digital dollars like USDT, where it can be frozen.

What to do now

1. Stop sending money, even if you're told one more payment will release your funds.
2. Before you leave the group, screenshot it: the group name, the "professor" and "assistant" usernames, the invite link and the messages.
3. Save the app or website address and the deposit addresses it gave you.
4. Download your transaction history from the app you used to send the crypto.
5. Report the accounts in Telegram or WhatsApp, and report the scam at ic3.gov.

How we help

We work to get your money back. We follow your crypto from every deposit you made to the exchanges and stablecoin companies holding it, and push them to freeze it so it can be returned to you. Once you engage us, tracing takes 48 hours, and recovery efforts start within a week.

Watch out

A "member" may soon recommend a recovery expert. These are often the same criminals.

• Crypto investment scams: how we help
• How to check if a crypto trading website is real
• Fake recovery sites we've found

Van Orton Recovery is an American fraud recovery intelligence firm. Every case starts with a free, confidential assessment of where your money went and what can be done, usually within hours. Contact us at hello@vanortonrecovery.com or use the link below to get started.