Technical support scammers set up fake customer support phone lines and impersonate companies—including Coinbase—or regulatory bodies. They manipulate people into providing personal information that will be used for fraudulent purposes.
To help protect your information:
Never give support staff remote access to your computer. This effectively gives a scammer full access to your computer, online financial accounts, and digital life.
Never give out your 2-step verification codes or passwords.
Never accept calls asking for your confidential personal information. Scammers can spoof legitimate phone numbers when conducting outbound calls.
Only contact Coinbase through the phone number or email listed on our Contact us page.
Never send cryptocurrency to external addresses on behalf of alleged support agents. Coinbase staff will never ask you to send cryptocurrency to external addresses.
Coinbase customer service agents will never:
Ask for your password or 2-step verification code
Ask you to install software on your device
Remotely access your device to take action on your account
Access or move funds held in your account
If you’re asked for any of the above, disconnect the call and email security@coinbase.com immediately.
Note: If you’re disconnected from a customer service call, the agent will call you back within five minutes at the same phone number. Before continuing the conversation, the agent will re-verify your identity with a security question.
Investment scams
Investment scammers ask you to invest money to earn higher returns without financial risk, then request you to bring more people in to do the same. They often need a constant flow of new people investing in order to make money. Ponzi and pyramid schemes are great examples of investment scams.
For the US, if you come across one of these scams, contact the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state's securities regulator to get help. For the UK, contact the Financial Conduct Authority.
Tips for avoiding investment scams:
Be skeptical of websites or services promising high returns or unrealistic investment opportunities. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Only send cryptocurrency to trusted third parties. Search for publicly verifiable reviews or articles involving the recipient.
Watch for grammatical errors in communications or on websites. Scammers often make grammar or spelling mistakes.
Research the organization thoroughly. Check consumer protection websites and make telephone calls and send emails to verify authenticity.