Is that really wallet support? How do I spot a fake crypto support agent?
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Short answer: If "support" contacts you first by DM, phone call or text, or asks for your recovery phrase, it is a scam. MetaMask, Ledger and Trezor all say they never ask for your phrase, and none of them phone users. Hang up, and reach support only through the official site you type yourself. (MetaMask; Ledger)
Key facts
- "MetaMask does not have a phone number," and its support "will never reach out to you first by direct message or email." (MetaMask)
- "Ledger will never contact you via text message or phone call," and never DMs users on social media. (Ledger)
- In 2025, Americans filed 17,355 tech or customer support complaints involving crypto, with $1.23 billion in reported losses. (FBI IC3 2025 report)
- Chainalysis estimated that crypto impersonation scams grew more than 1,400% in 2025 compared with 2024. (Chainalysis, Jan 13, 2026)
How do fake support scams find me?
- Replies to your public posts. You ask a wallet question on X, and a lookalike "support" account replies or DMs you. MetaMask describes accounts with its fox logo, a "vaguely convincing" handle, and even a fake engineer's headshot and name. (MetaMask)
- Phone calls after a fake ticket. Ledger says scammers open a support ticket using your email so you receive a real auto-confirmation, then call you right away. (Ledger)
- Pop-ups and search ads. The FTC says tech support scams often start with a fake pop-up that urges you to call a number, or with scammers' own ads in search results. (FTC)
- "Your device will be disabled." Trezor and Ledger both say they cannot deactivate your device, so any message threatening that is a scam. (Trezor; Ledger)
- AI voices and video. Trezor warns that scammers now use AI to imitate support "not just in text but also in voice and video." (Trezor)
What is the one rule that stops fake support?
"The rule is simple: any request for your wallet backup, PIN, passwords, or codes is always a scam."
A related tell: a self-custody wallet company cannot reverse your transactions, reset your password, or look up your recovery phrase. MetaMask says so directly. Anyone who offers to do these things is lying. (MetaMask)
How do I reach real support safely?
- Start from the official website, typed by you or from a bookmark, not from a link in a message. CISA's advice for any suspicious message is to look up the company's contact information yourself. (CISA)
- Use the in-app or on-site support button. MetaMask's official route is "Contact Support" on support.metamask.io. Trezor routes reports through its chatbot. Ledger uses the chat widget on its site. (MetaMask; Trezor; Ledger)
- Check the sender. MetaMask says it emails only about tickets you opened, and only from support@metamask.io. (MetaMask)
- Treat Telegram, WhatsApp and Instagram "official groups" as unofficial. MetaMask calls them "at best a fan club." (MetaMask)
- Report the impersonator. Ledger asks people to report fake communications to its dedicated phishing address, phishing@ledger.fr. Report fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. (Ledger; FTC)
Frequently asked questions
Does MetaMask have a phone number?
No. MetaMask says it does not have a support phone number and will never ask you to get on a call. Anyone calling as MetaMask support is a scammer.
Will Ledger or Trezor ever call me?
No. Ledger says it never contacts users by phone or text. Trezor says to hang up on anyone claiming to be from a hardware wallet company and open a ticket through its official channels.
The "support agent" already has my ticket number. Is it real?
Not necessarily. Ledger reports scammers opening tickets in your name so you get a genuine confirmation email, then calling you. Real support never needs your recovery phrase.
What if I already gave fake support my recovery phrase?
Treat the wallet as compromised. Create a new wallet with a new phrase on a clean device and move any remaining funds right away. See our post on seed phrase phishing.
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Sources
- MetaMask Help Center, "Contact MetaMask Support" (undated). support.metamask.io (accessed 2026-10-24)
- MetaMask Help Center, "MetaMask's official support channels" (undated). support.metamask.io (accessed 2026-10-24)
- MetaMask Help Center, "Spoofing scams" (undated). support.metamask.io (accessed 2026-10-24)
- Ledger, "Ongoing phishing campaigns" (living page). ledger.com (accessed 2026-10-24)
- Trezor, "Common scams and phishing affecting Trezor users" (undated). trezor.io (accessed 2026-10-24)
- Federal Trade Commission, "How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams" (undated). consumer.ftc.gov (accessed 2026-10-24)
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, "2025 IC3 Annual Report," April 2026 (pp. 54–55, crime types with a cryptocurrency nexus). ic3.gov (accessed 2026-10-24)
- Chainalysis, "2026 Crypto Crime Report: Scams," 2026-01-13. chainalysis.com (accessed 2026-10-24)
- CISA, "Recognize and Report Phishing" (undated). cisa.gov (accessed 2026-10-24)
Changelog
- 2026-10-24: First published.