# Scope and legal

Source: https://otinstaller.com/guides/osintverse-community/crypto-address-tracing/01-scope-and-legal (page 2 of 4 of osintverse-community/crypto-address-tracing)

- **Addresses are pseudonymous, not anonymous.** Linking an address to a person usually happens off-chain: an exchange
  account, a post, a donation page. Treat such a link as personal data.
- **Exchanges hold the identities.** If funds reach an exchange, the exchange knows its customer, but only law
  enforcement or a court can make it say who. Report fraud to the exchange and the police rather than trying to
  identify the customer yourself.
- **Don't send funds** to an address you are investigating, not even dust amounts to "tag" it; it can taint your own
  wallet and may be illegal (sanctions).
- **Sanctions.** Some addresses are on sanctions lists (OFAC, EU). Interacting with them, even by mistake, can have
  legal consequences.

Next: https://otinstaller.com/guides/osintverse-community/crypto-address-tracing/02-lookup.md