Filed under: Account takeover

Coinbase texted me to approve a withdrawal I didn't request, is it fake?

Q: Coinbase texted me to approve a withdrawal I didn't request, is it fake?

Stop. The message is asking you to approve or cancel a withdrawal through a login page it provides. Do not use that login. Open Coinbase yourself and check the account activity there. A "withdrawal of X BTC is pending, approve or cancel within 24 hours" text that links to coinbase-approve.example is designed to panic you into logging in on a fake page. Coinbase shows withdrawal activity inside the app you log into yourself, not through an SMS link to a look-alike. The made-up withdrawal is the hook that makes you rush to "cancel" and hand over your credentials.

Stop. The message is asking you to approve or cancel a withdrawal through a login page it provides. Do not use that login. Open Coinbase yourself and check the account activity there. A "withdrawal of X BTC is pending, approve or cancel within 24 hours" text that links to coinbase-approve.example is designed to panic you into logging in on a fake page. Coinbase shows withdrawal activity inside the app you log into yourself, not through an SMS link to a look-alike. The made-up withdrawal is the hook that makes you rush to "cancel" and hand over your credentials.

Part of our guide: How to secure and recover a hacked account →

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The sight of your own crypto "leaving" triggers immediate alarm, and the scam converts that alarm into a hurried click to stop it. Because withdrawals really are irreversible, the pressure feels justified, and users who don't know Coinbase's real cancel flow can end up verifying on coinbase-approve.example and handing the thief exactly what they need.

The exhibit

EXHIBIT · CHECK BEFORE YOU ENTER YOUR PASSWORD.

Received via: SMS EN

Coinbase: A withdrawal of 0.42 BTC is pending on your account. If you did not request this, cancel and verify your identity within 24 hours at coinbase-approve.example or the transfer will complete.

Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.

How to verify it yourself

Don't click. Open the official Coinbase app yourself and check pending transactions, a real withdrawal shows there.
Read the domain: Coinbase uses coinbase.com, not coinbase-approve.example or any add-on host.
A legitimate wallet or exchange does not ask for your seed phrase or 2FA code to "cancel" a transfer.
If a withdrawal is genuinely pending, freeze it from inside the official app and contact in-app support.

Common questions

is coinbase-approve.example a real Coinbase page

No. Coinbase lives at coinbase.com. coinbase-approve.example is a fake built to capture your login and empty your wallet.

did someone request a withdrawal from my Coinbase

Check the official app before believing it. If no withdrawal is pending there, the text fabricated one to make you click.

how do I cancel a Coinbase withdrawal safely

Open the real app, review pending transactions, and cancel or freeze from inside it, never through a link in a text message.

does Coinbase text you to approve withdrawals

Withdrawal confirmations appear in the app and verified email, not as SMS links to a separate domain with a deadline.

If you already responded

If you logged in on the fake page, change your Coinbase password and reset 2FA from the official app immediately.
If you shared a recovery phrase, move any funds to a new wallet you control right away.
Report it to the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov and alert Coinbase support inside the app.

More scams like this

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.