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Safety guide · Updated 28 Oct 2026

Crypto payment safety

Crypto transfers cannot be undone by a bank, and usually not by you. That makes the checks before you send the whole game.

These steps apply to any coin. TrustDB reports cover Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Solana and Monero.

Do and don't

The short version. Skim this first.

Do

  • Copy the wallet address, paste it, and compare the start, the middle and the end with the original. Malware can swap a copied address.
  • Make sure the network matches what you are sending. ERC-20 tokens use an Ethereum address and SPL tokens a Solana address.
  • On bigger deals, send a small test amount first and wait for it to confirm.
  • Keep the transaction link or hash for every payment. For Monero, keep the TXID and the tx key from your wallet.
  • Look the wallet address up in the lookup before you pay.
  • Use a reputable wallet and keep your software up to date.
  • Read what you are approving before you connect a wallet or sign anything on a site you do not know.

Don't

  • Don't share your seed phrase, recovery words or private key with anyone, ever. Real support never asks for them.
  • Don't send crypto first to a stranger, or to a middleman you have not checked.
  • Don't pay a gas fee, unlock fee or "tax" to release funds you were promised.
  • Don't believe guaranteed returns or "send me some and I will send back double".
  • Don't retype an address from memory or copy one out of a screenshot.
  • Don't pay anyone who says they can recover lost crypto for a fee. Recovery offers often target people who were already scammed.

If it already happened (you sent crypto to the wrong person)

  1. Save the transaction hash or link, both wallet addresses, the amount, the time and the chats.
  2. Don't send more, including to "release" or "recover" the first payment.
  3. If you sent from an exchange, contact its support right away with the hash. What they can do varies, and a confirmed transfer is often final.
  4. If a wallet connection or approval drained your wallet, move what is left to a new wallet with a new seed phrase and revoke the approvals.
  5. Report it on TrustDB: pick Crypto and the network, enter the exact receiving address (copy it, don't retype it) and add the transaction link for each payment. A crypto report needs a verifiable transaction hash.
  6. For a significant loss, report it to the police or your country's cybercrime reporting service and give them the hash.

Where to go next

The right page on TrustDB for the next step.

Questions

  • Treat it as final. Once confirmed, only the person who received it can send it back, and a scammer will not. An exchange may be able to help in some cases, so contact it quickly, but there is no guarantee.
  • Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Solana and Monero. The form checks the address format for the network you choose.
  • A verifiable transaction hash for each payment, plus your chats. For Monero, keep the TXID and the tx key from your wallet.

More answers in the FAQ.

General safety information, not legal or financial advice. TrustDB isn't a party to your deals. We don't hold funds, act as a middleman or get refunds for you.

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