Mr. Chen from Hangzhou sat in the police station, holding the freezing notification, completely stunned.
The day before, he spent 50,000 buying some coins in the C2C section of the exchange and transferred the money to the seller's WeChat. As a result, the next morning—his WeChat wallet was frozen, his salary card couldn't be used, and he couldn't even pay his child's tuition. Even more absurdly, the police freezing his account were from Hebei, thousands of miles away.
In one sentence: You didn't do anything, yet you can still get 'caught in the crossfire'.
1. Why does 'clean money' suddenly turn into 'involved funds'?
Many people think: the money is from their salary, and the transactions are on legitimate platforms, how could anything go wrong?
But the police's logic in investigating cases is not about whether you are a good person, but rather focusing on the cash flow.
Mr. Chen's experience is typical: the seller's account had just received a fraudulent payment three days ago. To lock down the entire chain, the police will freeze all accounts that have transacted with him.
You just went to the supermarket to buy a bottle of water, but the owner sold counterfeit goods yesterday, and as a result, you got pulled in too.
What's even more heartbreaking is: **The freezing period is very long.** It can be as short as half a year, or as long as two to three years. I have seen fans who were frozen in 2022 and still haven't been released.
2. How tragic is it after an account is frozen?
Freezing is not just 'waiting a few days', the subsequent ordeal is what really torments you.
Mr. Chen prepared a stack of materials for unfreezing: order screenshots, transfer receipts, complete chat records with the seller, a copy of his ID, and had to write 3 pages (statement of circumstances).
What's worse is that these issues can't be resolved online; you have to send documents or run to a local police station. Mr. Chen flew from Hangzhou to Hebei to give a statement, spending over 4,000 on flights and hotels, only to be told by the police: 'Wait for notification.'
The reality is:
You may never get your money back (recovery rate <10%).
Life is completely in chaos: the mortgage was almost overdue, and there are daily arguments at home.
In one sentence: freezing means not only losing money but also having your life put on pause.
3. 4 Tips to Avoid Pitfalls and Help You Stay Away from 90% of Freezing Risks
Preventive measures are more important than crying out in despair afterwards. Remember these 4 tips:
Absolutely do not trade privately
Scammers love to say 'transfer privately and save 500 bucks'. Once you bypass platform guarantees, your money may be taken away, and you'll also bear the risk of being involved in a case.
Transaction records must be retained
Order screenshots + transfer receipts + chat records, not a single one should be missing, and it's best to have them both on your phone and in the cloud. Missing one could lead to 'no proof to clear yourself' when unfreezing.
Address abnormalities immediately
Did you not receive the coins? The platform indicates the seller is abnormal? Don’t wait; contact customer service + report to the police + contact the freezing police immediately. Being proactive is a hundred times better than being passive.
Stick with established merchants
Only deal with merchants who have high ratings, large transaction volumes, and can provide credentials. Don’t be tempted by a temporary bargain from unknown sellers.
4. Final Advice
Mr. Chen later had his account unfrozen, but he said these two months were worse than being in prison.
He said a very honest statement: 'I will never dare to buy coins casually again.'
Making money in the crypto world is hard, but keeping it is even harder. Don't think freezing is far from you; I have dozens of fans in my backend who have fallen victim. Instead of running around after the fact, it's better to remember these few tips now.
Because for ordinary people, the hard-earned money simply can't withstand a single 'freeze'.
👉 Have you ever encountered a frozen account? Share in the comments how you dealt with it. Your experience might save someone else.