Crypto scam — FINMA · Switzerland

Direct answer

Stop paying in — especially any "tax", "release fee" or "verification deposit" to withdraw; those are the second scam. Check the platform against the warning list of FINMA (031 327 91 00) — unlicensed platforms are listed there and a listing is proof for your bank. Report to Bundesamt für Cybersicherheit (BACS) — Meldeformular (117) with every wallet address and transaction ID; recovery is rare but the report freezes exchange accounts. Kantonspolizei — Suisse ePolice (suisse-epolice.ch) collects the pattern and warns others. Beware of "recovery agencies" that contact you afterwards — same people.

Call firstFINMA

Report toBundesamt für Cybersicherheit (BACS) — Meldeformular

If that failsKantonspolizei — Suisse ePolice

🗣️ What to say

"Between [date] and [date] I sent [amount] to [platform / wallet addresses] on the advice of [name / contact channel]. The platform now refuses withdrawal unless I pay more. I believe it is fraud and want to report it; here are the transaction IDs."

🪜 Step by step

Freeze everythingNo more transfers, no "fees", no remote-access sessions. Change passwords, remove any remote-control app they had you install.
Collect the trailWallet addresses, transaction hashes, the exchange you bought through, chat history, the fake dashboard screenshots. This is the whole case.
Tell your bank and the exchangeThe exchange you paid from can flag the destination; the bank can check whether any card or transfer step is reversible.
Report to Bundesamt für Cybersicherheit (BACS) — MeldeformularCybercrime units trace blockchain flows and freeze accounts at exchanges; the more transaction IDs, the better.
Check the licence: FINMAIf the platform is not authorised in the EU, it has no right to hold your money — the regulator's warning helps with the bank and with any insurer.

📇 All contacts

FINMASupervises banks and insurers; warning listUnauthorised firms, systematic misconduct📞 031 327 91 00 🔗 www.finma.ch

Bundesamt für Cybersicherheit (BACS) — MeldeformularReporting phishing, fraud, cyber incidentsFor fraud and phishing online📞 117 🔗 www.report.ncsc.admin.ch

Kantonspolizei — Suisse ePoliceReport online or at the stationAlways; you need the reference for the bank🔗 www.suisse-epolice.ch

Opferhilfe Schweiz (kantonale Beratungsstellen)Statutory victim support: advice, emergency help, compensationAfter any crime🔗 www.opferhilfe-schweiz.ch

❓ Frequently asked

Can the money be traced and recovered?

Traced, often; recovered, rarely, unless it sat at a regulated exchange that froze it. Report fast and keep every ID.

Someone offers to recover it for a fee

That is a recovery scam and frequently the same group. No legitimate agency asks for an upfront fee to recover crypto.

I gave them remote access to my computer

Disconnect, remove the software, change every password from another device, and warn your bank — they may have seen your online banking.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

“crypto scam report Switzerland”
“investment platform will not let me withdraw”
“unlicensed crypto platform warning list Switzerland”
“crypto fraud recovery”
“report wallet address police”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

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