Who investigates fraud through a romance scam?
By R.T. (Tyler) Dijst, blockchain investigator at Paucitas
Paucitas is an independent expert firm in the Netherlands that investigates investment fraud and crypto fraud and establishes legitimate crypto assets.
What Paucitas does in a romance scam case
We start with the timeline: when the contact began, when the first investment was suggested and which amounts were transferred when. We then follow those payments on the blockchain, from your own wallet or exchange account to the counterparty addresses and onwards.
We check whether those addresses can be linked to a fake crypto platform, to a known pattern or to a cash out point at an exchange. What we find and what we cannot establish both go into the report.
What you supply
The transaction hashes or wallet addresses you paid to, the bank statements for the transfers, the screenshots of the contact and of the trading platform, and a short description of how things unfolded. Profile names, phone numbers and links to the app or website are useful too.
Have you deleted part of it, or was an account removed? Say so, and we will take that into account. An incomplete file is no reason not to start.
What you receive
A report with the timeline, the route the funds took, the points we were able to establish as fact and an assessment of their evidential value. It comes with a clear list of what remains unknown.
We do not promise recovery of your funds. What the report can do is turn your account of events into something a lawyer, a bank or a court can read and weigh.
How to get started
You get in touch with a short description and the data you hold. In a first conversation you will hear whether an investigation can achieve anything in your situation and what it costs. If it cannot, we say so straight away.
European supervisors publish background on crypto assets and the rules that apply to them: see ESMA and EBA.
A romance scam is a personal matter as well as a financial one. We handle the factual part; for the legal steps you work with your lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Who investigates fraud through a romance scam?
An independent blockchain investigation firm such as Paucitas investigates the payments and the route of the funds; the legal follow up runs through your lawyer.
Can Paucitas get my money back?
No. Paucitas records what happened and where the funds went. Recovery is something Paucitas cannot promise.
Is an investigation worthwhile if the chat history is gone?
Often yes. The payments themselves are on the blockchain and stay visible, even when the app or profile has disappeared.
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. We prefer to schedule that call through WhatsApp, 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.