1. Why 'safe at the time, but a disaster the next month'? The key is the 'time difference' in police investigations.
Many people may wonder: the platform passed the review at the time of the transaction, and the bank did not indicate any risks, so why did the account get frozen one or two months later? The core issue here is the 'concealment of the funding chain'.
The transfer you received may be money laundered by fraudsters from victims. For example, the scammer uses victim A's money to buy your coins; at that time, A is not yet aware of the scam and hasn't reported it, so the platform and the bank can't detect any issues with the funds. But once A reports to the police, they will trace the money flow backward, and you, as the receiving party, will become a money transfer station, naturally being listed for investigation.
It must be clear: being frozen does not mean you are breaking the law, it just means the funding chain has been 'contaminated'. The police need to confirm whether you are an accomplice in the scam. As long as you can prove you are an ordinary seller unaware of the situation, in most cases, the account can be successfully unblocked.
2. These 5 actions are most likely to trigger risk control; it is recommended to check against them.
Don't think 'trading on legitimate platforms means everything is fine'; many details can instantly make you a key subject for investigation. Pay special attention to the following points:
Frequently changing collection bank cards, such as using China Merchants Bank today and Agricultural Bank tomorrow, and often logging into trading platforms from unfamiliar IPs like internet cafes or hotels, causing frequent changes in IP address and bank card location, will be judged as 'high-risk operations'.
Directly writing 'buy coins', 'USDT', 'digital assets', etc., in transaction notes is equivalent to actively reporting to the bank and police, clearly indicating that the funds are related to cryptocurrency.
Transferring the money immediately upon receipt, especially to unfamiliar accounts, with no time for the funds to stay in your account, looks just like a typical 'money laundering process'.
The buyer's real name on the platform is 'Wang Wu', but the actual bank card holder making the payment is 'Zhao Liu', who explains 'this is a payment made by my friend'. The mismatch between the source of funds and real name information will directly raise suspicions.
Conducting large transactions between 2 and 5 AM, this time frame is already a peak period for scams and money laundering, and the bank's risk control system will directly raise a red flag, marking your account as 'abnormal'.
3. Don't panic when you receive a freezing notice! These 3 steps are the 'key to survival'.
If you really receive a freezing notice from the police or bank, follow these steps and don't panic; avoid making hasty actions that could delay unblocking:
First, distinguish true from false: the police and legitimate banks will never ask for your bank card password, SMS verification code, nor will they ask you to 'transfer a sum of money to a designated account to prove your innocence'. If the other party says 'add WeChat to send materials' or 'share the screen remotely to teach you how to unblock', it is 100% a scammer. Hang up and call the bank's official customer service (e.g., ICBC 95588) or the police 110 to verify the information.
Do not privately transfer money for 'settlements': even if it is confirmed that the money you received is related to a scam, you must go through official procedures. For example, if the police request a refund, make sure the other party issues a (notification of fund return related to the case), and money can only be transferred to the police-designated public account. After transferring, you must request a receipt and a case closure certificate. Never believe the statement 'transferring to my personal account privately can unblock' – these are all scams.
The more complete the evidence prepared, the quicker the unblocking: organize the platform's transaction records (including order numbers, transaction times, buyer information), and the complete chat history with the buyer (especially screenshots of their promises of 'clean funds, no risks'), and bank transaction details (marking each transaction corresponding to the order) into a document along the timeline. Provide whatever the police need promptly, cooperate actively, and this can shorten the investigation time.
4. There will be 4 outcomes after freezing; knowing in advance will help you stay calm.
Do not think 'the money is gone' as soon as it is frozen. The actual outcomes can be divided into 4 types, and knowing early can provide peace of mind:
Best outcome: complete evidence can prove you are an 'ordinary seller unaware of the situation'; after clarification, the unblocking will occur within 24 to 72 hours, and subsequent use of the account will not be affected.
Most common outcome: account temporarily controlled, only able to receive funds and not withdraw them. Normal usage will resume after the initial investigation (usually 1 to 3 months).
Slightly worse outcome: only the funds related to the scam are frozen, other funds can be used normally, but the funds related to the scam can only be unfrozen after the entire case is closed.
Most troublesome outcome: being placed on the bank's long-term risk control list, leading to constant pop-up reviews during future transfers and even restrictions on large transactions. In such cases, it is recommended to open a new card specifically for OTC transactions, completely separating it from salary cards and mortgage cards.
5. Want to avoid pitfalls? These 6 habits must be developed.
Rather than panicking afterward, it’s better to take precautions in advance. The following 6 habits have been tested to reduce the risk of freezing by 90%; it is recommended to persist over the long term:
Only use custodial trading on major platforms, and when choosing buyers, prioritize 'over 1000 completed transactions, good review rate over 98%, registered real name for over 6 months' old users; directly refuse newly registered buyers to avoid encountering 'one-time scam accounts'.
Only accept funds that match the 'real name of the platform and the payer'. If the other party mentions 'company payment', 'family payment', or 'colleague payment', cancel the transaction directly regardless of explanations. The source of funds and real name information must match exactly.
Break large transactions into smaller orders of less than 50,000, and try to operate during the day from 9 AM to 5 PM, avoiding late night and early morning hours which are sensitive for risk control, to reduce the probability of being judged as 'abnormal transactions' by the system.
Ask buyers to note 'shopping funds', 'service fees', 'goods funds', etc., and absolutely avoid mentioning keywords like 'coin', 'chain', or 'digital assets' to prevent funds from being directly associated with cryptocurrency.
Open a bank card specifically for OTC receipts, only for receiving funds (keep the money in the card after it arrives, wait until confirming no risk before transferring), do not mix it with salary cards, mortgage cards, or daily spending cards, so that even if it gets frozen, it won't affect normal living funds.
Absolutely do not help others collect or transfer funds in the crypto circle, even if relatives or friends ask for help, do not agree. If there is an issue with the funds, you will be identified as a 'money transfer stage' and become a suspect, which is extremely risky.
