Fake support agents

Scammers pose as wallet, exchange and project support to steal seed phrases and account access. How to recognise them and how to get real help.

Last reviewed 2026-10-27 · 2 min read

On this page
  1. Where fake support finds you
  2. The tells
  3. How real support works
  4. If you already talked to fake support

When something goes wrong, a stuck transaction, a missing airdrop, a locked account, people search for help or ask in public. Scammers are waiting there, posing as support.

Where fake support finds you

  • Replies to your public posts on X, Reddit or Discord asking for help, often within seconds: "Contact support here" or "DM our help desk".
  • DMs from "admins" or "support" after you post in a group.
  • Search results and ads for "[wallet name] support phone number".
  • Fake help desk websites and forms that ask for your wallet address "and recovery phrase for verification".
  • Phone calls claiming to be from your exchange's security team about suspicious activity.

The tells

  • They contacted you first, or replied to you in public within seconds.
  • They want to move to a private chat, a "ticket" on an external site or a phone call.
  • They ask for your seed phrase, a 2FA code, remote access to your computer, or a "test transaction".
  • They tell you to connect your wallet to a "validation", "rectification" or "sync" site.
  • They create urgency: "your funds will be lost if you do not act now".

How real support works

  • Wallet software usually has no way to see or recover your funds. Support can only explain how the software works. No genuine wallet support ever needs your seed phrase.
  • Exchanges offer support through their own website or app, reached by typing the address yourself. Use the in-app chat or ticket system while logged in.
  • Projects use public support channels in their own Discord or forum, or a ticket system linked from their official site.

Danger: "Support" that asks for your recovery phrase is stealing your wallet. Real support never needs it, for any reason.

If you already talked to fake support

  • If you shared your seed phrase, treat the wallet as lost: move funds to a new wallet immediately from a clean device.
  • If you gave remote access, disconnect the computer from the internet, and from another device secure your exchange and email accounts. Then have the computer checked or reinstalled.
  • If you shared a 2FA code, change that account's password and review its sessions immediately.

See I've been hacked.