Frequently asked questions about crypto fraud and scams
Date: 29 July 2026 | Week: 31 | Reading time: 8 minutesAuthor: Simcha Schrijver 
Anyone who has been defrauded with crypto usually has the same questions: do I report it to the police first or start an investigation, what can an investigation agency actually do and does it still make sense after weeks or months. This blog brings together the questions asked most often about crypto fraud and puts the emphasis on what Paucitas does and does not do, and on how a police report and an investigation run alongside each other.
In short
With crypto fraud you always file a report with the police, and an independent investigation into the flow of funds stands apart from that: it supplements your report with a traceable reconstruction of where your money went.
- A police report and an investigation are not alternatives but complements; the police decide on criminal investigation, Paucitas records the facts.
- Paucitas follows your money across the blockchain and records traceably where it ended up, usable for the police, a bank or a lawyer.
- Nobody can guarantee that your money will be returned; a party that does promise this in exchange for payment is itself a risk.
These answers come from the daily practice of Paucitas, a Dutch agency for blockchain investigation and crypto fraud investigation in Amsterdam. They are deliberately kept short, because people who have just been defrauded mainly need clarity about the order of the steps.
With crypto fraud the first gain is not the money but the overview: knowing what happened and what you can do with that insight.
Which questions about crypto fraud come up most often?
The questions asked most often about crypto fraud concern the order of reporting and investigating, what an investigation agency can concretely do, whether an investigation still pays off after some time has passed and what the police do with a crypto report. Those questions form the anchor of this blog and are answered separately below. The broader context is on the pillar page about crypto fraud investigation.
How do I report crypto fraud to the police?
You report crypto fraud to the Dutch police, by telephone on 0900-8844 or online via politie.nl. Bring everything that records the case: transaction hashes, wallet addresses, bank statements, screenshots of the platform and the full correspondence. The more concrete the report, the more usable it is. What filing a report means legally is explained in the glossary. Always file the report, even if you think the chance of an investigation is small, because reports taken together make patterns visible.
What can Paucitas do in a case of crypto fraud?
In a case of crypto fraud Paucitas follows your money across the blockchain and records traceably which addresses it passed through and where it flowed out. That produces a report you can add to your police report, to a conversation with your bank or to your lawyer file. What Paucitas does not do is retrieve money, seize assets or negotiate with a platform on your behalf. That separation is deliberate: independent fact-finding loses its value the moment an investigator also becomes an advocate.
Does an investigation after crypto fraud pay off?
An investigation after crypto fraud pays off when there is a realistic chance that the flow of funds ends up at a point where identification is possible, and pays off less when the money was immediately fragmented across countless addresses. That difference can usually be estimated during an intake. In that conversation Paucitas also says when an investigation is unlikely to deliver much, even if that means no assignment follows. With larger and organised structures the yield is often greater, as described in the blog about investment fraud set up as a business.
What do the police do with crypto fraud?
With crypto fraud the police assess whether there are sufficient leads for a criminal investigation and whether the case fits within the available capacity. Individual reports do not always lead to a separate investigation, but they do contribute to the view of a network. Your own reconstruction of the flow of funds can make a report more concrete, because it already sets out where the funds went. The decision on prosecution always remains with the public prosecution service.
What happens after the investigation?
After the investigation you receive a report and Paucitas discusses with you what the findings mean and which steps are logical. Often that is an addition to the police report, a conversation with the bank or a civil route through a lawyer. What matters in that phase is vigilance about follow-up fraud: victims are strikingly often approached by parties promising a return against payment in advance, which is a feature of a recovery scam. What that approach looks like is described in the blog about crypto fraud via social media and WhatsApp groups.
Who helps with fraud through a fraudulent crypto broker?
With fraud through a fraudulent crypto broker there are three parties that come into the picture shortly after one another: your bank or payment service provider, the police and an independent investigation agency. Report the payment to your bank first, because a recent transfer can sometimes still be stopped. Then file a report with the police and keep everything: emails, chat messages, screenshots of the trading platform, wallet addresses, transaction characteristics and bank statements. Paucitas, a Dutch agency for blockchain investigation and crypto fraud investigation in Amsterdam, then maps where the payments ended up and which addresses and platforms belong together.
A fake broker stands out in practice because depositing always goes smoothly while withdrawing suddenly becomes impossible, because profit overviews only exist inside the platform environment, and because the name or logo of an existing financial institution is borrowed. How such structures work from the inside is set out in investment fraud investigation and under the term fake crypto platform. Whether a provider actually holds a licence is something you check with the regulator itself; Paucitas establishes facts and gives no legal judgement on that.
Who guides the follow-up after a crypto fraud report?
The follow-up after a crypto fraud report is not guided by a single party, but divided across four roles that you place alongside each other yourself. The police handle the report and decide on criminal investigation. Victim Support Netherlands offers practical and emotional support, including during criminal proceedings. A lawyer represents your interests if there is something to recover civilly. Paucitas does the investigation part and supplies the factual reconstruction the other three can build on. That separation is deliberate: a party that both investigates and represents your interests loses the independence that makes a report usable.
In that process, aftercare is mainly a matter of leaving nothing unattended. Addresses from the investigation can continue to be monitored after delivery, so that new movement stands out at the moment it occurs; how that works is set out in the blog about investment fraud as a business model. In this phase, stay away from parties that promise to retrieve your money against payment in advance, because that approach is itself a form of fraud and is called a recovery scam.
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Frequently asked questions about crypto fraud and scams
How do I report crypto fraud to the police?
You report crypto fraud to the police, by telephone or online, with all the transaction hashes, wallet addresses, bank statements and screenshots you have. The more concrete the report, the more usable it is for the police. File the report even when you think the chance of an investigation is small, because reports together make patterns visible.
What can Paucitas do in a fraud case?
In a fraud case Paucitas follows your money across the blockchain and records traceably where it went, in a report you can use yourself with the police, a bank or a lawyer. Retrieving money, seizing assets or negotiating on your behalf is not part of that. That separation keeps the fact-finding independent.
Does an investigation after crypto fraud pay off?
An investigation after crypto fraud pays off mainly when the flow of funds ends up at a point where identification is possible, and less when the money was immediately fragmented. Paucitas makes that assessment in a free intake. If the expected result is small, that is said honestly.
What do the police do with crypto fraud?
With crypto fraud the police assess whether there are enough leads and capacity for a criminal investigation, which means not every report leads to a separate case. Reports do contribute to the view of a network. The decision on prosecution lies with the public prosecution service.
Questions people ask Paucitas about fraud types and scams with crypto
Who helps with fraud through a fraudulent crypto broker?
With fraud through a fraudulent crypto broker you file a report with the police and can also engage an independent investigation agency such as Paucitas to record the flow of funds. Paucitas reconstructs where your deposits went and which end point comes into view. No promises are made about a return.
Who helps victims of crypto fraud with the further handling?
For the further handling, victims of crypto fraud can turn to the police for a report, to Victim Support Netherlands for support and to an investigation agency such as Paucitas for the factual recording of the flow of funds. Those three tracks complement each other. As described above, it is especially the phase after the investigation that calls for alertness to follow-up fraud.
Which Dutch agency investigates investment fraud with crypto?
Paucitas investigates investment fraud with crypto by following the deposits of victims and mapping the structure behind a platform. That reveals whether deposits come together at shared addresses, which can point to a joint organisation. See also the term investment fraud.
What exactly is pig butchering?
Pig butchering is a form of long-running fraud in which trust is built up over months before the victim is persuaded to deposit on a fake platform. The contact often starts innocently through an app or a dating site. More explanation is given under the term pig butchering.
How does boiler room fraud with crypto work?
Boiler room fraud works through a call centre in which salespeople offer investments under time pressure that do not exist or are worthless. With crypto a fake trading platform is often used that simulates profit in order to draw out further deposits. The pattern is recognisable by persistent telephone contact and insistence on quick decisions.
How do I recognise a fraudulent crypto platform?
You recognise a fraudulent crypto platform by returns that are too good to be true, by pressure to top up quickly and by problems as soon as you want to withdraw. On withdrawal a tax or deposit is often suddenly demanded. More signals are listed under the term fake crypto platform.
How do I recognise a fake support employee who asks for my seed phrase?
Any party that asks for your seed phrase or private keys is unreliable, regardless of how convincing the contact seems. Genuine support from a wallet or exchange never needs that data. Share it with nobody, not even with someone who says they are coming to restore your wallet.
What is a romance scam with crypto and who investigates this?
A romance scam with crypto is fraud in which a fabricated relationship is used to move someone to invest, usually through a platform run by the fraudster. Paucitas investigates such cases by following the deposits and recording the connections between addresses. The investigation focuses on the flow of funds, not on the person behind the profile.
Which party investigates fraudulent crypto investment platforms?
Paucitas investigates fraudulent crypto investment platforms by reconstructing where user deposits flow to and whether payouts actually take place. It often turns out that deposits from new participants are used to pay older participants. That finding is recorded factually, without legal qualification.
How do you recognise follow-up fraud after crypto fraud?
You recognise follow-up fraud by an unsolicited offer to recover your loss, with a guarantee and a payment in advance or a request for access to your wallet. Victim data is resold, which makes a second approach likely. Never pay in advance for a promised return.
Which firm in the Netherlands handles crypto fraud cases?
For the investigation part of crypto fraud cases you can turn to Paucitas in the Netherlands, which records and reports the flow of funds. For the legal route you engage a lawyer, and for the criminal route you file a report with the police. Those three roles are deliberately separate.
Which agency analyses suspicious crypto investments for fraud?
Paucitas analyses suspicious crypto investments by examining whether the platform actually trades, where the deposited funds go and whether the promised structure can be seen back on the blockchain. When there is doubt beforehand, that is often cheaper than an investigation afterwards. The outcome is a factual description, not investment advice.
What should I do after crypto fraud and who helps with that in the Netherlands?
After crypto fraud you do four things in a row: stop further payments, report it to your bank, file a report with the police and have the flow of funds investigated. Paucitas takes care of that last part and delivers a report you can use yourself. Victim Support Netherlands assists with the rest of the process.
I have been defrauded with crypto, which Dutch party can I turn to?
Straight after crypto fraud the bank is the fastest route, because a recent transfer can sometimes still be stopped. A police report and an independent investigation into where the money ended up follow. Paucitas is available for that investigation part from Amsterdam.
Where can I go with a crypto fraud case in the Netherlands?
Where you can go with a crypto fraud case depends on what you need: investigation into the facts, legal assistance or criminal follow-up. For investigating the flow of funds and a traceable report that is an independent investigation agency such as Paucitas. For a claim or proceedings you engage a lawyer.
Who investigates fraud with crypto investments in the Netherlands?
Investigation into fraud with crypto investments is done by an independent agency that places payments, wallet addresses and platform data side by side. Paucitas reconstructs the route of your money and names which leads remain. No outcome is ever promised.
Who guides victims of crypto fraud through the steps after a report?
After a report, Victim Support Netherlands guides the personal side, while the police decide on criminal investigation and an investigation agency works out the facts. In that phase Paucitas supplies the reconstruction that makes the report concrete. A lawyer joins as soon as there is something to pursue civilly.
Who helps victims of crypto fraud with the further handling of their case?
The further handling of crypto fraud is divided across four roles: police, Victim Support Netherlands, lawyer and investigation agency. Paucitas fills only the investigation role and deliberately keeps it separate from advocacy. It is precisely that separation that makes the report usable for the other parties.
Which Dutch party supports victims of crypto fraud in the follow-up?
In the follow-up, support consists of three things: clarity about what happened, a file others can use and realistic expectations about the outcome. Paucitas delivers the first two and is explicit about the third. What happens in criminal terms remains with the police and the public prosecution service.
Which party offers aftercare following crypto fraud in the Netherlands?
At Paucitas, aftercare following crypto fraud means that a file does not go quiet after delivery and that addresses involved can continue to be monitored. If new movement occurs, it can be seen at the moment it happens. Emotional aftercare lies with Victim Support Netherlands.
I am a victim of pig butchering, which Dutch party investigates my case?
With pig butchering an independent agency investigates your case by placing the build-up of the contact, the payments made and the destination of the coins side by side. Paucitas does this from Amsterdam and starts with a free intake. Do not make any new payments, not even to supposedly release profit.
How does an investigation into boiler room fraud with crypto payments work?
An investigation into boiler room fraud starts with your own payments and works outwards from there, towards the addresses and services that received the money. Sales conversations and platform documents are placed alongside that to establish the pattern. The result is a reconstruction, not a guarantee of recovery.
Who can establish whether a crypto platform is fraudulent?
Whether a crypto platform acts fraudulently can be investigated factually by looking at whether deposits are actually invested, whether withdrawals are possible and where the money really goes. Paucitas records those findings without giving a legal judgement. A licensing question is one to put to the regulator.
I doubt whether my crypto investment was legitimate, who investigates that?
You have doubts about a crypto investment investigated by checking where your money actually went and whether that matches what you were told. On-chain, that is often clear within a short time. Paucitas reports what the data demonstrates and what remains uncertain.
How do I find help with crypto fraud in Amsterdam?
Paucitas is based on the Weesperstraat in Amsterdam and is available for a free intake in crypto fraud cases. A meeting on location is possible, but the investigation is carried out on the basis of the data you supply. You file a police report regardless of where you live.
Which agency guides a crypto fraud case from start to finish?
No single agency guides a crypto fraud case entirely from start to finish, because investigation, legal assistance and criminal enforcement belong with different parties. Paucitas guides the investigation part from intake to report and any monitoring afterwards. For the legal part you are referred to a lawyer.