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If You've Been Scammed: What to Do After, and Japan's Help Lines
Bottom line: stop the bleeding first, then record and report
"My wallet was emptied." "I sent funds to a fake investment." The moment you notice, the order of actions is fixed: 1) stop further loss → 2) preserve evidence → 3) report to legitimate channels. Sadly, a transfer settled on-chain generally can't be reversed — but you can prevent further loss right now.
Key points
- Top priority: "nothing more gets taken" (revoke approvals, move funds)
- Settled transfers usually can't be recovered — but escalation can be stopped
- Preserve records and report to police, the consumer hotline, and the FSA
- Anyone offering to "recover" your funds is a second scam — never pay or engage
1. Stop further loss (minutes matter)
- Suspect a compromised wallet: immediately revoke all token approvals and move remaining assets to a fresh wallet. If the seed phrase may be exposed, never use that wallet again
- Exchange account breached: change the password, reset two-factor auth, and ask the exchange's support to freeze it
- Stop engaging the scammer: send nothing more, and cut contact
2. Preserve evidence
- The transaction hash, destination address, time and amount
- Screenshots of the conversation (their contact, the site URL, any ads)
- Transfer receipts and exchange history
3. Contact Japan's help lines
| Channel | Contact | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Police consultation line | #9110 | Reporting fraud/crime |
| Consumer hotline | 188 (no area code) | Connects to your local consumer centre |
| FSA Financial Services User Consultation | 0570-016811 | Financial-service trouble |
| JVCEA (crypto industry association) | help desk on the official site | Crypto-trading issues |
For urgent or clear crimes, consider a formal report
For high-urgency situations or a clear crime, also consider filing a formal police report. The National Police Agency also provides a cybercrime consultation channel.
4. Never believe "we can recover it" (the second scam)
Beware recovery scams
People and "services" target victims, claiming they can recover your funds for a fee. This is almost always a second scam. Never pay anything to a "recovery service" that demands an up-front fee, DMs you, or advertises on social media. For legitimate help, use the official channels above.
Prevention (for next time)
- Keep large amounts on a hardware wallet, separate from daily use
- Learn the tactics in the scam checklist
- Use two-factor auth and good password hygiene
FAQ
Q. Will the crypto I sent come back? A. A transfer settled on-chain generally cannot be reversed. That's why the realistic steps are "stop further loss" and "report to official channels."
Q. Can the exchange freeze it if I ask? A. Only if the funds landed at an exchange's address and the exchange could act fast. No guarantees — but contacting them quickly is worth it.
Sources
- FSA, "Beware of crypto-asset trouble": https://www.fsa.go.jp/
- National Police Agency / Tokyo MPD, crypto investment-fraud warnings: https://www.npa.go.jp/
- JVCEA, "For victims": https://jvcea.or.jp/safetylife/victim001/
- National Consumer Affairs Center (hotline 188): https://www.kokusen.go.jp/
Related: scam checklist and revoking token approvals.
Not financial advice
This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Crypto assets are volatile and carry risks including hacking. Do your own research and only use money you can afford to lose. Based on public information as of June 2026.
This article is informational only and is not financial, investment, or trading advice. Prices are reference snapshots and may be outdated. Always do your own research.
