In short
Dealing with crypto fraud does not stop once you have reported it: the police record the report, but working out where your money went often stays undone. Paucitas fills that gap by reconstructing the flow of money on the blockchain and setting it out in a report that anyone can follow step by step, so that the police, your bank or your solicitor can take it further. Ring us any time, day or night, or ask for a free first conversation.
Paucitas is an independent expert firm in the Netherlands that investigates investment fraud and crypto fraud, establishes the origin and legitimacy of crypto assets and prepares expert reports for legal proceedings and compliance.
On this page
- What happens after I report crypto fraud?
- Who helps victims with the next steps after a report?
- What does Paucitas add to the official route?
- What does dealing with crypto fraud involve in practice?
- Which steps can I take myself after crypto fraud?
- How do you recognise people who promise to get your money back?
- How long does it take to deal with crypto fraud?
- Frequently asked questions
- What can you do now?
What happens after I report crypto fraud?
Your report is recorded and assessed by the police. Whether a case is taken up depends on capacity, priorities and evidence. That is exactly where a factual investigation report helps: it makes the case concrete and easy to follow. Paucitas does not just point you elsewhere, but provides the evidence an authority can actually work with.
What you can expect after reporting
- You receive a crime or reference number; keep it safe, as your bank and solicitor will ask for it.
- It can take a while before you hear anything. That does not mean nothing is happening, but it does not mean an investigation will certainly follow either.
- If new information comes to light, such as extra transactions or messages, you can add it to your report.
- If the police ask for more details, an organised file with a timeline and attachments helps.
Many people feel let down after reporting. That is understandable. It helps to know that the quality of your file is something you can control yourself.
Further reading: the blog what you can expect after reporting crypto fraud.
Who helps victims with the next steps after a report?
Paucitas guides you through the steps after the report. We investigate which addresses and services your crypto went to and describe where the trail visibly ends. You use that report with the police, your bank or your solicitor. Paucitas carries out the investigation and records the facts; we do not give legal advice.
Who does what after a report?
- The police: assess the report and decide whether to investigate. In England and Wales the Crown Prosecution Service decides on prosecution; in Scotland that is the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
- Your bank: looks at payments from your account and may ask about the route.
- Your solicitor: advises whether a civil claim makes sense and against whom.
- Paucitas: works out what actually happened and records it in a report you can follow. Paucitas does all tracing itself, without tracing tools.
Further reading: the blog frequently asked questions about blockchain investigation and aftercare.
What does Paucitas add to the official route?
The official route, a report to the police and a call to your bank, remains the basis. What that route usually does not provide is a worked-out reconstruction of the flow of money. Paucitas makes that reconstruction and records it in a way that can be checked, so your file is stronger than the report alone.
What the report contains
- The route of your crypto, transaction by transaction, with amounts and times.
- The exchanges and services where the trail visibly ends, as far as can be established.
- A timeline of what happened, from the first contact onwards.
- What cannot be established, and why.
If the money reaches an exchange that is supervised, the police can request information there. Paucitas does not establish who an address belongs to; that is for the authorities with the powers to do so.
See also: the blog frequently asked questions about stolen crypto and recovery.
What does dealing with crypto fraud involve in practice?
It runs on two tracks side by side. The first is formal: your police report, possibly a report to the FCA, and contact with your bank. The second is factual: recording exactly what happened, with amounts, addresses and moments. Without that second track, the first remains a story without evidence.
Why getting organised saves so much time
What surprises many people is that the time after the report mostly calls for getting organised. The police, the bank and the solicitor each ask their own questions and expect the same details in a different form each time. If you build one organised file, with a timeline and numbered attachments, you do not have to work it all out again for every question.
An example from practice, composite and with details changed: someone reported a fake platform to the police and heard nothing for months. With a report setting out the route to two exchanges, the police report could be updated and the solicitor knew which questions to ask. Not every case goes that way, but a clear file makes it more likely that something is done with it.
Which steps can I take myself after crypto fraud?
Keep all transaction hashes, wallet addresses and messages, and have the flow of money investigated. The sooner that starts, the better the chance the route stays recognisable. Pay nothing to anyone who promises to get your money back. With the Paucitas report you can add to your police report and raise the matter with your bank.
An overview of what you can do yourself
- Stop any further payments, even if you are asked for “release fees” or “tax”.
- Keep everything: transaction IDs, addresses, screenshots of the platform, emails and chats.
- Contact your bank if you sent money from your account; you can reach its fraud team on 159.
- Have the route of your crypto investigated and recorded.
- Add the report to your police report, or report the fraud through Report Fraud (or to Police Scotland on 101) if you have not done so yet.
- Report an unauthorised firm to the FCA.
Further reading: the blog what recovering stolen crypto realistically involves.
How do you recognise people who promise to get your money back?
After a scam, people often come forward claiming they can get your money back, as long as you pay first. That is regularly a second scam, by the same group or another. A serious party does not promise an outcome and does not ask for money for a “release”.
Signs of a recovery promise that does not add up
- You are approached out of the blue, shortly after the scam.
- A success rate or guarantee is mentioned.
- You have to pay up front, often in crypto.
- They call themselves a solicitor, a regulator or a “blockchain authority” without details you can check.
Paucitas does not promise that your money will come back. We record what happened, and sometimes that gives the police or a solicitor something to work with. The FCA also warns about recovery room scams.
See also: the blog which factors decide whether you see stolen crypto again.
How long does it take to deal with crypto fraud?
That varies a great deal and cannot be predicted from the outside. A criminal case has its own pace, and a civil route depends on whether there is a party that can be held to account. What you do control is the quality of your file. An investigation by Paucitas takes from the same day to around two weeks.
Why we make no promises
We make no promises about outcomes or about how long the police or a court will take. We do know from hundreds of cases a year that a clear file that can be followed makes the next steps easier. Every investigation is tailored: you receive a bespoke quote in advance, which we go through with you, without surprises.
Frequently asked questions
I reported the fraud, why have I not heard anything?
The police assess every report on capacity, priority and evidence. That can take time. With a well-supported report on the route of your money, you can add to your police report so the case becomes more concrete.
Can Paucitas help if I have already reported it?
Yes. Many people come to us precisely after reporting. Paucitas reconstructs the flow of money and records it, so you can add to your report and inform your bank or solicitor.
Can I get my money back after crypto fraud?
That depends on your situation. If you still have access to your own wallet or account holding funds, there may still be options. If everything has been sent to the fraudsters, the picture is different. That cannot be judged from a distance. Paucitas first looks at your situation and tells you honestly what is and is not possible. Be careful with anyone who promises in advance that your money will come back. In doubt? Contact Paucitas and you will know where you stand.
Does Paucitas give legal advice?
No. Paucitas records the facts. For legal questions, such as a civil claim, we refer you to a solicitor.
What does an investigation cost?
Every investigation is tailored. You receive a bespoke quote in advance, which we go through together, without surprises. The intake is free.
What can you do now?
After reporting, it can feel as if you are on your own. You do not have to be. Do get in touch; we look honestly at your situation and tell you what can still be established.
Ring us any time, day or night, on +31 20 244 5774, fill in the contact form (you will hear from us within 1 to 3 hours) or email us (reply within 24 hours, usually the same day). The intake is free and without obligation; you receive a bespoke quote in advance.
Which pages belong to this topic?
- Crypto fraud investigation, the wider topic this is part of.
- Police report, what reporting involves and what comes after.
- Scammed with crypto: where to go in the UK
Short answers to specific questions
Short answers to specific questions are in the questions and answers overview; you will find what terms mean in the glossary.
Further reading in the knowledge base
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.