After a theft or scam, the most urgent question is often: can someone freeze the money before it disappears? Sometimes, yes. But who can freeze it, and what they need from you, depends on where the funds are. This guide explains how freezes actually work and what you can do to make one possible.
Who can freeze crypto, and who can’t
- Exchanges can freeze funds in accounts they hold for customers. That’s why the most useful finding in a trace is that stolen funds reached an exchange.
- Stablecoin issuers such as Tether and Circle can block or freeze their own tokens at specific addresses. Tether (USDT)’s law enforcement policy says requests to freeze addresses “should be accompanied by appropriate legal process.” Circle (USDC) may block addresses it believes are associated with illegal activity, and may be required to freeze USDC when it receives “a legal order from a valid government authority.”
- No one can freeze coins like Bitcoin or Ether sitting in a self-custody wallet that no company controls.
What exchanges need before they freeze
A victim’s email is usually not enough on its own:
- Binance says it “is unable to unilaterally freeze any user’s assets without an appropriate official freezing order from law enforcement or a court of competent jurisdiction.” Its victim report asks for a description, the transaction IDs and a copy of the police report.
- Binance.US accepts formal freeze requests from law enforcement where there is probable cause that the funds are subject to seizure and forfeiture, and says it may freeze the account for two weeks.
- Kraken has a “report a scam” form but says it is unable to reverse or recover funds for you.
- Coinbase and Robinhood take legal requests from law enforcement through dedicated channels.
How to give a freeze the best chance
- Move fast. A freeze only helps while the funds are still at the exchange or still held as a freezable stablecoin.
- Report to the police and the FBI (ic3.gov) straight away, with every transaction ID and wallet address. Freezes usually depend on a law enforcement request or court order, so ask the officer handling your case whether they can send a freeze or preservation request to the exchange.
- Report to the receiving exchange yourself through its official site, with the transaction IDs and your police report number.
- Find out where the funds went. A trace shows whether they reached an exchange and which one, so requests go to the right place. See how tracing works.
- Talk to a lawyer about court orders if the amount justifies it. Some courts have granted temporary restraining orders against identified wallets, supported by tracing evidence: see civil crypto fraud.
Freezing stolen crypto: common questions
Can Tether freeze the USDT a scammer took?
Tether can freeze USDT at specific addresses, but its law enforcement policy says freeze requests should be accompanied by appropriate legal process. Report to the police and IC3 quickly and ask them about a freeze request.
Can I ask an exchange to freeze the scammer’s account myself?
You can and should report it, with transaction IDs and a police report. But exchanges such as Binance say they can’t freeze assets without an official order from law enforcement or a court, so your report works best alongside a police request.
How long will an exchange keep funds frozen?
It varies. Binance.US, for example, says that, on a formal freeze request from law enforcement, it may freeze an account for two weeks.
The funds are in a private wallet. Can anything be done?
No one can freeze Bitcoin or Ether in a self-custody wallet. But the funds can be watched: if they later move to an exchange or are converted into a stablecoin, a freeze may become possible, which is why a documented trace and an open police report matter.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Exchange and issuer policies change; check their own pages. ChainWatch is not affiliated with any company named here and does not guarantee that funds will be frozen or recovered.
Sources
- Tether: law enforcement requests
- Circle: USDC terms
- Binance: how to report stolen funds transferred to Binance
- Binance.US: law enforcement guide
- Kraken: protect yourself from scams
- Coinbase: legal requests
- Robinhood: law enforcement requests
The information on this page was checked against the sources listed on September 29, 2026. Laws, agency guidance, company policies and contact details change, so please verify the current information with the original source before you act.