Fake Crypto Exchange List 2024–2026
A verified, sourced database of fraudulent cryptocurrency exchanges and trading platforms confirmed by FBI IC3, FCA, ASIC, EFCC, and victim reports. Use the search to check any platform before depositing funds. Updated continuously as new reports are filed.
Verified Fake Crypto Exchange Database
Every platform below has been reported to at least one major financial authority or confirmed as fraudulent through documented victim reports. Sources include FBI IC3, FCA, ASIC, EFCC, and Global Anti-Scam Org. Use the search to check a specific name or domain.
9 Ways to Identify a Fake Crypto Exchange
These nine indicators are present in virtually every documented fake exchange. The more that apply to a platform, the higher the probability of fraud.
This single factor accounts for over 80% of all fake exchange victims. If any online contact — romantic interest, "mentor," new friend, or social media connection — introduced you to a specific trading platform, treat it as fraudulent until you can independently verify it through CoinGecko, CoinMarketCap, and your national financial regulator. No legitimate exchange needs third-party introduction.
This is the universal mechanic of every fake exchange. Your funds arrive and show on the dashboard. When you request a withdrawal, you're told you must pay a "withdrawal tax," "compliance fee," "account upgrade," or "insurance deposit" first — ranging from 5% to 40% of your balance. No legitimate exchange ever charges fees as a condition for accessing your own funds. Any fee demanded before withdrawal is the scam mechanism itself.
Every legitimate exchange with real trading volume is listed on CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap — this is where the industry verifies itself. Search the exchange name on both platforms. If absent, search your national financial regulator's register (FCA, ASIC, SEC, CFTC). Any exchange not appearing on any independent public listing is an extreme red flag regardless of what their own website claims.
No legitimate investment guarantees returns — this is both financial reality and regulatory law. Any platform promising specific percentage gains, guaranteed profits, "risk-free" returns, or minimum return floors is either committing securities fraud or lying about its operations. This applies equally to claims of "AI trading guarantees," "algorithmic minimum returns," or "quantum advantage" — all meaningless language used to create false confidence.
Clone firm fraud involves registering domains that appear identical at a glance to legitimate exchanges: coinbase-verified.com, binance-pro.io, kraken-secure.net. Check the exact domain character by character against the official exchange URL. Fake exchanges also use different TLDs (.io, .pro, .vip, .net) to appear similar to real .com addresses. Real Coinbase is coinbase.com — any other variant is fraudulent.
Legitimate regulated exchanges are legally required to collect identity verification before allowing trading. An exchange that allows large deposits without identity verification is either unregulated or deliberately avoiding compliance requirements. KYC is a feature, not a burden — it means the exchange operates under legal obligations and has accountability for customer funds. No KYC is a significant red flag.
Search the company name on the company registrar of the claimed jurisdiction (Companies House for UK, SEC EDGAR for US, ASIC for Australia). Many fake exchanges claim to be registered in the UK, USA, or EU — but checking the official register shows no record. The displayed address is often a random commercial building or virtual office. Real exchanges have verifiable, operational headquarters.
A sophisticated fake exchange tactic: allow small withdrawals (often under $200) early to build trust. Once you deposit significant amounts, withdrawals become blocked. This deliberate trust-building phase — sometimes called "seasoning" — is documented in pig butchering scripts recovered by law enforcement. The early withdrawal capability is specifically designed to create confidence that larger funds are also accessible.
Legitimate exchanges have real trading volume verifiable on CoinGecko and through blockchain explorers. Fake exchanges show internal database numbers — there are no real blockchain transactions backing the displayed trades. Check: does the exchange's trading volume appear on CoinGecko's exchange page? Are withdrawal transactions visible on-chain? If trading activity exists only within the platform's own interface, it isn't real.
4 Types of Fake Crypto Exchange Operations
Fraudulent exchanges aren't all the same. Understanding which type you're dealing with determines the right response — and which authorities to contact.
The exchange is the final step in a months-long relationship manipulation. Contact is established via social media or dating apps, trust is built slowly, then the victim is guided onto the fake exchange by their "contact."
Platform impersonates a real, regulated exchange using near-identical branding, domain names, and claimed regulatory registration. Victims believe they're using a known legitimate exchange.
Exchange operates legitimately for weeks or months, building user base and deposit volume. Then exits suddenly — disabling withdrawals, taking site offline, and moving all user funds to anonymous wallets.
Claims AI, algorithmic trading, arbitrage bots, or quantum computing generate guaranteed daily or monthly returns. All balance numbers are fabricated database entries — no real trading ever occurs.
Platform promoted via fake celebrity giveaway or token airdrop. Users connect wallet to claim free tokens — the connection grants unlimited token approval to a malicious smart contract.
Secondary fraud targeting people who have already lost money. Poses as a "recovery platform" claiming to retrieve stolen crypto using blockchain forensics. All fees paid are additional theft from already-victimised individuals.
12-Point Platform Verification Checklist
Run through every item below before depositing any funds on any new platform. Check only what you have actually verified — not what the platform claims.
You've Already Sent Money. Do This Now.
If you've deposited funds and now suspect the platform is fraudulent, every hour matters. Follow these steps immediately and in order.
Close the platform. Block the contact on every app — WhatsApp, Telegram, every social media account. Do not respond to any further messages including threats, pleas, or new "deals." Every message they send is designed to extract more money.
All chat messages with timestamps, the platform URL and dashboard, wallet addresses, every transaction confirmation and ID. Scammers take platforms offline within hours of being identified. Evidence that exists now may not exist in an hour.
Not general customer service — fraud department. If any transfer was via bank wire, the recall window is 24–48 hours. Credit card purchases have 60–120 day chargeback window. Debit card disputes up to 13 months in UK. Ask specifically about wire recall, chargeback, and APP fraud reimbursement.
US: ic3.gov (FBI) and reportfraud.ftc.gov (FTC). UK: actionfraud.police.uk. Nigeria: efcc.gov.ng. Australia: scamwatch.gov.au. Canada: antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca. Your case reference number is required for bank reimbursement claims.
Use Breadcrumbs.app or Etherscan to trace where your funds went. If they end up at a regulated exchange (Binance, Coinbase, Kraken), contact that exchange's compliance department with your transaction hashes and police report reference. Many exchanges will freeze wallets reported within 72 hours.
Report a Fake Exchange to the Right Authorities
File reports with every applicable agency. Combined reports from multiple victims pointing to the same platform is what triggers federal investigations and exchange wallet freezes.
FBI's internet crime portal. Feeds directly into Crypto Recovery Asset Team. Essential for any US victim — case number needed for tax and bank claims.
ic3.gov ↗Consumer Sentinel Network report. Accessed by 2,800+ law enforcement agencies. File in parallel with IC3.
reportfraud.ftc.gov ↗UK primary fraud portal. Crime reference number required for APP fraud bank reimbursement under new PSR 2024 rules.
actionfraud.police.uk ↗Reports fraudulent platforms to financial regulator. Can trigger public warnings and website blocking.
fca.org.uk ↗Nigeria's primary economic crime agency. Active extradition agreements. Report online or visit nearest zonal office with evidence.
efcc.gov.ng ↗Australia's primary scam reporting agency. Feeds into National Anti-Scam Centre for coordinated government response.
scamwatch.gov.au ↗Report scammer wallet addresses. Shared with exchanges and law enforcement. Can trigger wallet freezes when multiple victims report same address.
chainabuse.com ↗Adds case to global intelligence database. Connects you with other victims of same platform — coordinated reports have more impact. Free peer support.
globalantiscam.org ↗Frequently Asked Questions
Clone firms copy branding precisely. The checks that matter: (1) Compare the exact URL character-by-character with the official address (real Coinbase is coinbase.com — any variation is fraudulent). (2) Search the platform name on CoinGecko.com/en/exchanges — legitimate Coinbase appears; clones don't. (3) Check the FCA's Warning List (UK) or verify directly with your national financial regulator. (4) Ask yourself: did someone online introduce me to this specific URL? If yes, stop immediately — that's the defining pig butchering signal.
Recovery is possible but limited to specific scenarios. Bank wire recall: If funds were sent within 24–48 hours, contact your bank's fraud department immediately — wire recalls close fast. Credit card chargeback: 35–60% success rate within 60–120 days of the transaction. UK APP fraud reimbursement: UK banks are legally required to reimburse most APP fraud under PSR 2024 rules up to £85,000. Exchange compliance freeze: If blockchain tracing shows funds at a regulated exchange, contact their compliance team with your IC3/police report within 72 hours.
Direct blockchain recovery is 1–2% success rate. Never pay any "recovery service" claiming to retrieve funds — all are secondary scams.
No. Under no circumstances. This is the core mechanism of the scam itself — not a real fee. No legitimate exchange anywhere in the world requires a fee payment as a condition for withdrawing your own funds. The demand is specifically designed to extract additional money from you.
Every variation of this demand — "withdrawal tax," "compliance deposit," "account upgrade," "insurance fee," "legal compliance fee" — is the same fraud mechanic. No payment you make will ever result in funds being released. Begin evidence collection and file reports immediately.
Five independent checks: (1) CoinGecko — search coingecko.com/en/exchanges. Legitimate exchanges with real volume are listed. (2) CoinMarketCap — same verification at coinmarketcap.com/rankings/exchanges. (3) Your national regulator — FCA register (UK), CFTC/SEC (US), ASIC register (AU), EFCC (NG). (4) This registry and GASO's database — check globalantiscam.org. (5) Google the name + "scam" and check Reddit r/Scams. If all five checks pass and you found the exchange independently (not introduced by anyone), it's likely legitimate for initial small testing.
No. This registry contains documented cases — it is not an exhaustive list of all fake exchanges. Thousands of fraudulent platforms operate at any time, and new ones launch daily. An exchange not appearing here could be: newly launched (not yet reported), operating under a different name than searched, or an unregistered but not-yet-reported platform.
Always verify positively using CoinGecko, CoinMarketCap, and your national regulator — not negatively by checking scam lists. A platform's absence from a fraud list is not safety confirmation. A platform's presence on CoinGecko and regulatory registers is much stronger positive evidence.
Yes — and it often works faster than you'd expect. Report to: FBI IC3 (ic3.gov), FCA or your regulator, Chainabuse.com, Google Safe Browsing (safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish), and the domain registrar via ICANN WHOIS. Google Safe Browsing reports can trigger Chrome warnings for all users visiting that URL within 24–72 hours — effectively shutting down their ability to recruit new victims through search.
For confirmed fake exchanges, the FBI and FCA have mechanisms to request hosting providers and domain registrars take down fraudulent websites — your report initiates this process.
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2024 Crypto Scam Intelligence Report
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This fake crypto exchange list covers: is [exchange name] a scam · fake cryptocurrency trading platforms · list of scam crypto exchanges 2024 · how to identify fake crypto exchange · pig butchering exchange list · fake bitcoin trading platform · crypto exchange fraud warning · FCA warning list crypto · FBI crypto fraud exchanges · fake investment platform list · how to check if crypto exchange is legit · crypto scam exchange verification. Sources: FBI IC3 Annual Report 2023 · FCA Warning List · ASIC Investor Warnings · Chainalysis 2024 Crypto Crime Report · Global Anti-Scam Organisation · Chainabuse.com.