The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) has launched a cryptocurrency scam tracker to help residents “spot and avoid crypto scams.” The regulator stated: “As reports of new crypto scams emerge, the DFPI will continually update this tracker to promptly alert and protect the public.”

California Regulator’s Crypto Scam Tracker

The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) of the U.S. state of California announced last week the launch of its Crypto Scam Tracker to help people in the state “spot and avoid crypto scams.” The financial regulator described:

The tracker details apparent crypto scams identified through a review of complaints submitted by the public and allows California consumers and investors to do their own research and prevent harm to themselves and others.

The Californian regulator’s crypto scam tracker is a database — searchable by company name, scam type, or keywords — for consumers to learn more about crypto-specific complaints the DFPI has received. Each year, the DFPI receives thousands of consumer and investor complaints; the tracker’s content is based on information reported by members of the public to the DFPI. The regulator clarified that it “has not verified the losses reported by complainants.”

There is also an accompanying glossary that “aims to help consumers better understand common scams,” the state regulator continued. “As reports of new crypto scams emerge, the DFPI will continually update this tracker to promptly alert and protect the public.”

DFPI Commissioner Clothilde Hewlett commented: “Scammers are in the shadows using the public’s interest in crypto assets to take advantage of the most vulnerable Californians.” The commissioner added:

Through the new crypto scam tracker, combined with rigorous enforcement efforts, the DFPI is committed to shining a light on these ruthless predators and protecting consumers and investors.

There are already some well-known crypto scam trackers to help investors avoid crypto-related scams, including Bitcoin Abuse and Scam Alert. Last week, blockchain data analytics firm Chainalysis published a report showing that crypto scam revenue dropped 46% in 2022 to $5.9 billion from $10.9 billion the year prior.

What do you think about the crypto scam tracker launched by the California state regulator? Let us know in the comments section below.

Kevin Helms

A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in Bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography.