Kraken scams
Last updated September 18, 2026
The short answer
Kraken scams often start with a fake support phone number found by searching, or a SIM swap that defeats SMS two-factor. Kraken will never call you, never ask for your password or 2FA code, and never ask you to move funds to a "secure" wallet.
Kraken attracts a more experienced trader base, and the scams targeting it are correspondingly more technical: SIM swaps to intercept SMS codes, API-key abuse to drain an account without ever logging in, and phone-based social engineering aimed at people who hold enough to be worth a bespoke effort. The fake-support-number problem is shared with every exchange — none of them run inbound phone lines, and scammers fill the gap.
How Kraken scams work
- 1
The fake support number
Searching for Kraken support returns ads and forum posts with phone numbers. Kraken has no inbound support line. Every number is a scammer waiting for someone locked out and anxious.
- 2
SIM swap
An attacker moves your phone number to a SIM they control, using social engineering at the carrier. SMS two-factor codes then arrive on their device, and password resets follow. This is the main reason to move off SMS 2FA.
- 3
API key abuse
A "trading bot" or portfolio tracker asks for API keys. Keys granted withdrawal permission let funds leave without any login at all, and the activity looks like normal trading until it does not.
- 4
Login phishing with live relay
A cloned login page captures credentials and the 2FA code, and relays both to the real site within the code's validity window. The victim sees an error and tries again on the real site, which now works — so nothing looks wrong.
Warning signs
- You found a "Kraken support phone number" by searching — no such line exists
- Your phone loses signal unexpectedly and does not recover (a SIM swap in progress)
- A tool asks for API keys with withdrawal permission enabled
- Anyone asks for your password, 2FA code or seed phrase
- You are told to move funds to a "secure" or "cold" wallet provided by support
- The domain is not kraken.com, checked character by character
- A login that failed once succeeds on a retry moments later
Examples
SIM swap at 2am
A holder's phone drops to no service overnight. By morning, the number has been ported, SMS codes redirected, the account password reset and the balance withdrawn. The carrier port went through on a call using publicly available personal details and a spoofed callback number.
The portfolio tracker with withdrawal rights
A well-reviewed tracking app asks for read-only API keys, but the setup instructions quietly include the withdrawal permission. Three weeks later the account empties in six transactions over an hour. No login ever occurred, so no login alert fired.
What to do
- Use hardware-key or app-based 2FA, never SMS. This single change defeats SIM swapping.
- Add a port-out PIN or number lock with your mobile carrier.
- Create API keys read-only. Never grant withdrawal permission to a third-party tool.
- Get support only through kraken.com. There is no phone number to call.
- Turn on Kraken's Global Settings Lock and withdrawal address whitelisting.
Report it to Kraken
Open a ticket at support.kraken.com. Kraken has no inbound phone support — any number you find by searching belongs to a scammer.
Getting your money back
Report to IC3 immediately with transaction hashes and destination addresses; funds that reach a regulated exchange can sometimes be frozen within the first hours. If a SIM swap was involved, contact your carrier and demand the port records — carriers have been held liable for negligent ports, and those records are the evidence. Revoke every API key, reset the password from a clean device, and re-secure the email account behind the exchange login, which is usually compromised first and is the real root of the takeover.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kraken have a support phone number?
No inbound one. Support runs through tickets at support.kraken.com, and Kraken may call you back on a ticket you opened. Every "Kraken support number" in a search ad or forum post is a scam.
What is a SIM swap and how do I prevent one?
An attacker convinces your mobile carrier to move your number to their SIM, which redirects your SMS codes to them. Prevent it by adding a port-out PIN with your carrier and by moving every account off SMS two-factor onto an authenticator app or a hardware key.
Are API keys safe to give to trading tools?
Read-only keys are reasonably low risk. Keys with withdrawal permission are the account. Never grant withdrawal rights to a third-party tool, check the permissions on every key you have issued, and revoke anything you no longer use.
Other companies scammers impersonate
Scams reuse their scripts across brands. If you were contacted about Kraken, these are the guides worth reading next.