Follow a crypto payment
Trace where funds sent to a wallet went, and whether the address is linked to known scams or services.
- Starts with
- Crypto address
- Useful for
- Scam payments, ransomware wallets, donation addresses, sanctions checks.
- Time
- 30 minutes to several hours
- Progress
- 0 of 6 steps ·
Type a value into any step and every step of the same type fills in, with direct search links. Values stay in this tab and are not saved; only which steps you ticked is remembered, in your browser.
1. Check if it is already reported
Why: Scam and ransomware addresses are often reported by other victims, which gives context straight away.
Do: Search the address in scam report databases.
Look for:- Scam reports, their dates and descriptions
- Links to scam websites
2. Look at its transactions
Why: The history shows how much the address received, when, and whether it is still active.
Do: Open the address in a block explorer for its chain. Note the first and last transactions and the total received.
Look for:- Many small incoming payments (many victims)
- Funds moved out soon after arriving
3. Find who controls it
Why: Addresses belonging to exchanges and services are labelled, and clustering shows which addresses share an owner.
Do: Check entity labels and wallet clustering.
Look for:- An exchange label (exchanges can be asked to freeze funds)
- The wallet cluster the address belongs to
4. Trace the funds
Why: Following outgoing transactions shows where the money went, often to an exchange where it was cashed out.
Do: Build a flow graph from the address and follow the largest outgoing amounts.
Look for:- Deposits into labelled exchange wallets
- Mixers or bridges to other chains, which make tracing harder
5. Check sanctions
Why: Paying or receiving funds from a sanctioned address can be illegal, and sanctions lists include crypto addresses.
Do: Search any entity names you found in sanctions lists.
Look for:- Matches on OFAC or other sanctions lists
6. Report it
Why: Exchanges freeze funds faster with a clear trail, and reports warn future victims.
Do: Report the address to Chainabuse, and send the exchange's compliance team the transaction IDs showing funds arriving there. Report to the police if you lost money.