<p>No, there's no way for an individual to tie an arbitrary address to a specific person. However, it is sometimes possible for companies or governments to do so if the person went through a KYC/AML or identity verification flow on a centralized exchange site (i.e. Coinbase). </p>

<p>This is how the IRS was able to track people with large returns down for tax purposes (<a href="https://tokentax.co/blog/does-coinbase-report-to-the-irs/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://tokentax.co/blog/does-coinbase-report-to-the-irs/</a>).</p>

<p>All bitcoin transactions are entirely public, just pseudonymous. So, if a company is able to tie an individual to any address, they can easily track where that address sent coins and go from there. So while you might not have any course of action yourself, it could still be worth reporting any information you do have to authorities.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-10T15:14:50.797Z
2020-04-10T15:14:50.797Z
mkaplan
<p>I have just got a mail from someone called Mike Demarinis  blackmailing me to ask me to send him money. I know it's a joke, because i have got various passwords for different things. The guy simply don't know me.</p>

<p>But is there anyway that i can track the guy, like IP or location and call the police?</p>

<p>I want to find out where this address is from: bc1qz5ufptmvfkm4cjegwrfhqypvzum56phznm5raf </p>

<p>The mail is pretty nasty and frightening<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/5b45Y.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5b45Y.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-10T14:54:28.073Z
There is no way to track arbitrary addresses
Raghav Sood
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-14T18:39:55.357Z
Here is an article on it fyi https://cointelegraph.com/news/new-zealand-police-spotlight-bitcoin-ransom-scam-targeting-porn-viewing
Josh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-14T19:21:00.300Z
I got that same email. I knew immediately it was scam because I don't have five friends.
alexg
<tracking>
Anyway I can track the guy behind the bitcoin address?
Hoy Cheung
# Anyway I can track the guy behind the bitcoin address?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-10)

I have just got a mail from someone called Mike Demarinis blackmailing me to ask me to send him money. I know it's a joke, because i have got various passwords for different things. The guy simply don't know me.

But is there anyway that i can track the guy, like IP or location and call the police?

I want to find out where this address is from: bc1qz5ufptmvfkm4cjegwrfhqypvzum56phznm5raf

The mail is pretty nasty and frightening[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/5b45Y.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/5b45Y.jpg)

**Tags:** tracking

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There is no way to track arbitrary addresses  
> **username_2**: Here is an article on it fyi https://cointelegraph.com/news/new-zealand-police-spotlight-bitcoin-ransom-scam-targeting-porn-viewing  
> **username_3**: I got that same email. I knew immediately it was scam because I don't have five friends.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-04-10. Score: 3

No, there's no way for an individual to tie an arbitrary address to a specific person. However, it is sometimes possible for companies or governments to do so if the person went through a KYC/AML or identity verification flow on a centralized exchange site (i.e. Coinbase).

This is how the IRS was able to track people with large returns down for tax purposes (<https://tokentax.co/blog/does-coinbase-report-to-the-irs/>).

All bitcoin transactions are entirely public, just pseudonymous. So, if a company is able to tie an individual to any address, they can easily track where that address sent coins and go from there. So while you might not have any course of action yourself, it could still be worth reporting any information you do have to authorities.


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