Wrong network or wrong address: what to do next

Pause and preserve the receipt

Do not send a second transfer to try to repair the first. Save the transaction ID or signature, network, asset (and token contract or mint if shown), destination, amount, time, and any required memo or tag. Check the transaction through the sending service and, where available, the explorer for that same network. Share those details only through a support route you independently verify; never share a recovery phrase, private key, password, one-time code, or remote access.

A network record and a provider's account credit are separate states. Coinbase's send and receive troubleshooting guide, for example, says to check the transaction status, destination and network; a completed transfer on a network the receiver does not support may not appear in its account.

Choose the route by who controls the destination

• An exchange or other custodian: Open support from the official app or a website address you already trust. Give the non-secret transaction facts and ask whether the provider controls that destination, supports that asset/network, and has a documented review process. Ask how fees and timing are confirmed before agreeing. Policies differ: Kraken's deposit-recovery policy says some recoveries may incur a fee and are not guaranteed; Coinbase describes limited past unsupported-network cases where certain deposits may be credited automatically after support changes. Neither example predicts another provider's decision.
• A wallet you control: Check the wallet's official documentation for the exact network and asset. A token missing from one wallet view is not by itself proof that a transfer failed. Do not enter a recovery phrase into a 'recovery' site or follow private messages claiming to be support. Ethereum.org's security guidance says legitimate support will not ask for wallet keys and that an Ethereum transfer to the wrong address cannot generally be retrieved unless the address owner returns it. Bitcoin.org's beginner guidance likewise says Bitcoin has no central authority to reverse a mistake. Those are chain-specific examples, not a promise about every network or wallet.
• A destination controlled by someone else or nobody you can identify: There is no universal help desk that can reverse a confirmed blockchain transfer. Preserve the record and use a verified recipient or provider channel if one exists; do not assume a public address reveals who controls it.

Watch for a second loss

The FTC warns about recovery offers that arrive unexpectedly and require an upfront payment. Treat unsolicited promises of guaranteed recovery as a warning sign. This is different from a fee disclosed inside a provider's verified support process: confirm any such fee through the provider's official account before deciding. If the transfer was part of fraud, the FTC's steps after a scam include contacting the exchange or crypto-ATM operator promptly and reporting the incident; what they can do depends on the payment route and circumstances.

For a no-money prevention check, read your first crypto transfer, memos and destination tags, and how to read a transaction in a blockchain explorer. The FTC advice is U.S.-specific; reporting and recovery options vary by location.