Consumer complaint received 2026-01-27 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Virtual currency
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Coinbase, Inc.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
My Coinbase account was compromised as part of a broader identity theft and SIM-swap incident. The earliest confirmed unauthorized access occurred on XX/XX/year>, when Coinbase sent me a security email titled Verify your device to sign in. That email stated a sign-in attempt was detected from an unrecognized device with the following details : Location XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX United States XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( XXXX ) : XXXX : XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX This sign-in attempt was not made by me and was performed by the hackers. This email establishes XX/XX/year> as the start of confirmed unauthorized access to my Coinbase account. 
After that access, my account was taken over and used to conduct unauthorized cryptocurrency purchases, asset conversions, and Coinbase XXXX spending. After reviewing my transaction history, I confirmed that all activity dated XX/XX/year> and after was unauthorized. 
The hackers used the following laundering pattern : unauthorized purchases conversion into XXXX spending XXXX through Coinbase XXXX transactions. 
The direct financial theft occurred through these unauthorized XXXX XXXX transactions : XX/XX/year>XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX {$4000.00} XX/XX/year> : XXXX XXXX  {$790.00} XX/XX/year>XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  {$2800.00} XX/XX/year>XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX {$1200.00} Total stolen through XXXX XXXX XXXX  {$9000.00} In addition, the hackers made unauthorized cryptocurrency purchases used to facilitate the theft : XX/XX/year> : Buy XXXX {$3500.00} XX/XX/year> : Buy XXXX {$1500.00} Total fraudulent purchase volume : {$5000.00} Coinbase later sent a security email claiming that the XX/XX/year> activity originated from XXXX address XXXX, which was described as a previously used or trusted IP address. This directly contradicts the XX/XX/year> security email that identified the access as coming from an unrecognized device using an XXXX address. Both statements can not be true. Either the access came from an unrecognized device, or it came from a trusted source. 
Further, Coinbase claims that the XX/XX/year> activity came from XXXX address XXXX, yet my Coinbase account activity log only displays XXXX days of history and begins on XX/XX/year>. There is no user-visible record of XX/XX/year> activity. As a result, I am unable to independently verify or audit the access Coinbase claims occurred. The only record of that XXXX address exists in XXXX own email communications. This represents a serious transparency and accountability failure. 
Despite confirmed account takeover, documented financial theft of {$9000.00}, contradictory security reporting, and multiple written escalation attempts, Coinbase has failed to provide meaningful live human support. On XX/XX/year>, at approximately XXXX a.m., I called Coinbase support XXXX requesting to speak with a live representative regarding fraud and account compromise. In both calls, the automated system stated it was transferring me to a live agent and then disconnected the call without any transfer. No live Coinbase representative has ever contacted me. 
Coinbases reliance on automated systems while denying access to human fraud support during an active financial crime places me at continued financial and identity-theft risk and demonstrates institutional failure to protect customers. 

This complaint involves documented account takeover, financial theft, contradictory security communications, lack of transparency, and denial of access to live fraud support.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation