Coinbase texted that my account is compromised, is this a scam?
Last reviewed: 2026-08-01 · Checked with Hunch’s on-device engine, the same one inside the extension. How Hunch checks →
Part of our guide: How to secure and recover a hacked account →
Yes, and it's a dangerous one. A text claiming your Coinbase account is compromised and telling you to secure it at coinbase-verify.example within 24 hours is crypto-account phishing. Coinbase never routes you to a look-alike domain, and it never asks for your seed phrase or 2FA code. The urgency is engineered to make you hand over the keys before you can call the real support line.
Got a message like this? Paste it here →
Crypto is irreversible and self-custodied, so the fear of losing funds is sharper than with a bank, and that fear is exactly what the scam mines. New and casual Coinbase users especially don't know that a seed phrase is never requested, so a "secure your wallet now" text on coinbase-verify.example can push them to surrender the one secret that empties their account.
Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.
How to verify it yourself
- Don't tap the link. Open the official Coinbase app or type coinbase.com yourself and check for any real security alert.
- Read the domain: Coinbase uses coinbase.com, not coinbase-verify.example or any extra-word host.
- No legitimate wallet or exchange asks for your seed phrase, private key or a 2FA code.
- If you're unsure, contact Coinbase support from inside the official app, never a number or link from a text.
Common questions
is coinbase-verify.example a real Coinbase website
No. Coinbase's site is coinbase.com. coinbase-verify.example is a look-alike built to steal your login, 2FA, or seed phrase.
does Coinbase text you when your account is compromised
Coinbase surfaces security prompts in its app and to your verified email, not through SMS links to another domain with a countdown.
should I give Coinbase my seed phrase to secure my account
Never. No legitimate wallet asks for your seed phrase. Anyone requesting it is trying to drain your crypto.
how do I check if a Coinbase security text is real
Ignore the text and open the official app yourself. Real alerts appear there; if nothing shows, the SMS was bait.
If you already responded
- If you entered your Coinbase login or 2FA on the fake page, change your password and reset 2FA from the official app immediately.
- Move funds to a wallet you control if you shared any recovery phrase, and assume the exposed account is compromised.
- Report it to the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov and to Coinbase support inside the app.
Source: FBI IC3
Hunch is not affiliated with Coinbase. Coinbase is named only to describe a scam that impersonates it; the real Coinbase does not send these messages.