Aftercare after crypto fraud: what to expect after your report
Date: | Week: 35 | Reading time: 7 minutes | Updated: Author: Tyler Dijst
In short
What happens after you report crypto fraud? The police log your report, but you often hear nothing for a long time. Aftercare after crypto fraud means using that period well: recording what happened, securing your accounts and making sure you are not scammed a second time.
Paucitas is an independent expert firm that investigates investment fraud and crypto fraud, in hundreds of cases a year. Sometimes Paucitas maps out where the money went, sometimes Paucitas helps someone back into their own wallet, and sometimes things turn out differently than expected.
Get in touch with Paucitas or ring +31 20 244 5774. You do not have to face that quiet period alone.
In a nutshell
After the report there is often silence. That is exactly when you can do a lot: record details, secure your accounts and stay alert. Paucitas works out which route your money took, so your report rests on facts.
You have been scammed and you have reported it. That was an important step, and perhaps a hard one. Afterwards things often go quiet, and that can feel powerless. You wonder whether anything is still happening and what you can do yourself. Those questions are completely understandable, and you are not on your own.
What happens after you report crypto fraud?
Your report goes into a file. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland you report fraud via Report Fraud; in Scotland you contact Police Scotland. The police can request data from service providers, something you cannot do yourself. When you hear back depends on the investigative interest, not on the size of your loss. That can take a long time.
Meanwhile your own file stands still, unless you add to it. An independently recorded route of your payments makes your report more concrete. Then there is more than a story: there is an overview with addresses, amounts and times.
What is aftercare after crypto fraud?
Aftercare is everything that comes after the report. It is not first and foremost about whether the money comes back. Nobody can promise that in advance. It is about what you do control: recording, securing and preventing it from happening again.
Sometimes aftercare gives you more than peace of mind. Sometimes it shows where the funds arrived, which is a concrete lead for the police. Sometimes it turns out you still have access to (part of) your own wallet. Every case is different.
Which 7 steps do you take after reporting?
- Keep the full conversations with the other party, with names, numbers and times.
- Take screenshots of the platform and your balance there, with the date visible.
- Write down for each payment the amount, the time, the receiving address and the transaction hash.
- Remove any programs that let someone watch your screen remotely.
- Turn on two-step verification for your email and every platform, and change reused passwords.
- Do not respond to new messages about your case from strangers.
- Have the route of your payments recorded, so your report rests on facts.
The first step in particular is often underestimated. Chats are sometimes deleted before someone seeks help. Read more about what to secure in securing evidence after crypto theft.
Finding it hard to put this together yourself? That is perfectly normal. Let Paucitas take a look with you, or ring us 24/7 on +31 20 244 5774.
What can you do with the address your money went to?
That address can be watched. This is called address monitoring. Funds sometimes sit still for a long time before moving to a trading platform. If they arrive at a service provider, there is a concrete point the police can follow up. If the address stays quiet, we will tell you that honestly too. Read more in monitoring a crypto address after an incident.
How do you avoid being scammed a second time?
Sadly, anyone who has paid once often ends up on a list. Scammers then approach you again, sometimes quoting your exact amount or case number. Do not click links in messages about your case, think of phishing, and never give out your recovery phrase or private key. Be careful with upfront payments for recovery, tax or release of funds.
Does someone promise to get your money back for an upfront fee? That pattern is called a recovery scam. The FCA warns about recovery room scams. A trustworthy party does not promise an outcome, but tells you honestly what can be established in your case.
An example from practice
A woman had reported the fraud and heard nothing for months. Then she received a message from a "law firm" that could release her money for a small upfront payment. She hesitated and rang Paucitas first.
The message turned out to be a new scam attempt. Paucitas then recorded the route of her original payments. The report showed which platform part of it reached. With that she could add to her report in a targeted way.
Paucitas takes privacy very seriously and never shares clients' personal details. This is a composite example: names, amounts and details have been changed. The situation is one we see in practice.
What Paucitas does for you
Paucitas works it all out for you: your transactions, the route of the money, the platforms where it arrived and the documents. Paucitas also reads through all the conversations, emails and other communication, so you get the full picture: a timeline and where all the money went, step by step. Paucitas does all tracing itself, without tracing tools. You receive a report that anyone can follow and understand step by step, including the police and your solicitor. On request Paucitas then keeps an eye on an address.
- What you can provide: conversations, screenshots, bank statements and addresses. Never your recovery phrase or private key.
- Costs: every investigation is tailored. You get a bespoke quote in advance that we go through together, with no surprises.
- Turnaround: from the same day to around two weeks.
What can you do with the Paucitas report? It shows whether money is still available or where it went, and what the next steps are. You can use it to add to your police report: it is a strong attachment that sets everything out fully and clearly. Your solicitor can work with it too. Which other bodies can help is set out in the overview of authorities for investment fraud. More questions and answers are in frequently asked questions about blockchain investigation and aftercare, and the method in blockchain investigation explained.
Want to know what can still be established in your case? Get in touch for a free intake, or ring +31 20 244 5774. Via the form you will hear from us within 1 to 3 hours.
Sources: Report Fraud; Police Scotland, scams and frauds; FCA, recovery room scams.
Do you have questions about this blog?
Feel free to get in touch with Paucitas. Paucitas can be reached by phone 24/7, including evenings and weekends. Through the contact form we usually reply within 1 to 3 hours, and we answer e-mail within 24 hours.
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Frequently asked questions about aftercare after crypto fraud
Why have I heard nothing since my report?
Paucitas sees that often. The police weigh cases on investigative interest. A recorded route of your payments makes your report more concrete.
Can I still do anything after reporting?
Paucitas names three things: record, secure and stay alert to new scams. We can record the route of your money in a report.
Someone says they can release my crypto. What now?
Paucitas advises being careful and preferably not paying anything. It may be a second scam attempt. Feel free to ring us to have it checked.
Does Paucitas ask for my recovery phrase?
Paucitas never asks for it. It is not needed to investigate the route.
Does Paucitas offer a free intake?
Paucitas certainly does. In the intake we look at your situation and tell you honestly what is realistic. You get a bespoke quote in advance.
From Amsterdam, for the whole of the UK
Everything can be done fully online. Prefer to meet in person? You are very welcome at our office in Amsterdam, by appointment.
Paucitas is an independent expert firm based in the Netherlands that, for clients across the UK, investigates investment fraud and crypto fraud, establishes the origin and legitimacy of crypto assets and prepares expert reports for legal proceedings and compliance.
Your own situation
If you are reading this, you probably have a question about your own situation. That is exactly what Paucitas does.
The first step is contact by phone. You can book that call by phone or through the contact form, so you do not have to wait. In the call we look together at what can factually be established in your case and what Paucitas can examine for you.