If you’re receiving text messages from Coinbase with a withdrawal code and you don’t have an account, this is almost certainly a phishing scam. It’s a common tactic used by fraudsters to gain access to other people’s accounts.
Why This Is a Scam
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Unsolicited Texts:
- Legitimate companies, especially financial services like Coinbase, will not send you an unsolicited text with a withdrawal code. This code is a two-factor authentication (2FA) code, which is triggered when someone attempts to log in to an account.
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Creating Urgency:
- These scam texts often create a sense of urgency or fear, claiming that a withdrawal is being processed or that there’s a problem with your account. They want you to panic and click a link or call a fake phone number they provide.
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Targeting Other Victims:
- The most likely scenario is that a scammer has someone else’s phone number but your phone number is also tied to their account in some way, or they are just sending out texts to a large number of random people hoping to find someone who also happens to have a Coinbase account. They are trying to get you to provide the code to them, which would give them access to the real account.
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Coinbase Does Not Text to Verify Transactions:
- According to Coinbase’s official support, they do not send out texts to verify transactions. Any message that does this is a phishing attempt.
What to Do
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Do Not Click Any Links:
- The most important thing is to avoid clicking on any links in the text message. They are likely malicious and could lead you to a fake website designed to steal your information.
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Do Not Call the Number:
- The phone number provided in the text will connect you directly to the scammer. They will likely pose as a support agent and try to get you to give them your personal information or the code from the text.
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Delete the Text:
- Delete the message and block the sender’s number.
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Report the Phishing Attempt:
- You can report the text message to Coinbase’s security team by taking a screenshot and emailing it to security@coinbase.com. You can also report the message to your mobile provider by forwarding the text to 7726 (SPAM).
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How to verify if the text is real
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Real Coinbase SMS comes from shortcodes or numbers listed in Coinbase’s help pages.
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Real messages will reference your name or account, and will not have suspicious links.
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Fake messages often:
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Contain typos
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Come from random phone numbers
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Include urgent wording (“Your account will be closed…”)
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💡 Bottom line:
If you didn’t request a withdrawal, treat it as a hack attempt. If you did request one, only enter the code directly on Coinbase.com or the official app — never share it anywhere else.
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