I got a call saying my Robinhood account is locked and I need to move my funds to a safe wallet. Is that real?
No. Robinhood is a real, regulated brokerage, but it does not call people and tell them to move money or crypto to a safe account or outside wallet. A caller saying that is impersonating support, and any transfer you make that way is very hard to reverse.
Last reviewed: 19 July 2026
Explanation
The scam starts with a phone call, a text, or a pop-up warning that your account has been locked or accessed by someone else. The number on your screen may show a name or an area code that looks plausible, because caller ID can be faked cheaply. The caller sounds calm and procedural, reads back a detail about you that they found elsewhere, and offers to help you secure the balance. The instruction is always the same in the end: approve a transfer, send crypto to a wallet address they read out, or install a screen-sharing app so they can do it for you. It feels convincing because the story matches a fear you already have, and because being told your money is at risk shuts down slow thinking. The one check that settles it: hang up, open the app yourself from your phone's home screen, and look at your account status there. A genuine restriction shows up in the app. It never depends on you calling a number someone gave you.
Common red flags
- A caller says your account is compromised and funds must be moved to a safe wallet or holding account
- Pressure to act within minutes, or a warning not to tell anyone including your bank
- A request to install remote access or screen sharing software so they can help
- Being asked to read out a login code, PIN, or recovery phrase
- A support number that came from a text, an ad, or a search result rather than the app
- Instructions to send crypto to a wallet address, or to buy gift cards to verify your identity
What to do now
- End the call. Do not call back the number that contacted you.
- Open the official app directly from your phone and check whether any restriction actually exists on your account.
- If you shared a code or password, change your password from inside the app and turn on two-factor authentication.
- Remove any screen-sharing or remote-access app you were asked to install, and restart the device.
- Report what happened through the help section inside the app, and if money left your account, contact your bank or card issuer the same day.
- File a report with your national fraud reporting body, and keep screenshots, times, and any wallet address you were given.
Frequently asked questions
Would real support ever ask me for my login code?
No. A one-time code exists to prove that you are the person logging in, so anyone who asks you to read it out is trying to get into your account. The same goes for your password, your PIN, and any crypto recovery phrase. Legitimate staff can already see what they need on their side. If a request for a code comes up in a call you did not start, treat that alone as enough reason to hang up.
The number matched what I found online. Does that mean it was genuine?
Not necessarily. Caller ID can be spoofed to display almost any number, and search results and ads can carry support numbers set up by other people. That is why the safer habit is to never dial a number you were given or that appeared beside a search result. Open the app you already have installed and use the help or contact route inside it, so the path to support is one you navigated to yourself.