Glossary · Reference
Glossary: financial fraud terms
Anyone examining their legal options after a fraud runs into specialist vocabulary quickly. This glossary explains the terms plainly: what each one means, where it matters in proceedings, and what affected people should take from it.
10 terms · alphabeticalStraight to the free initial assessment
General information · Not legal advice for your individual case
From A to Z
A
Access to the investigation file
Access under § 406e StPO: how injured parties obtain sight of the investigation file through a lawyer — often decisive for civil claims.
Asset freezing
Asset freezing (§§ 111b et seq. StPO): provisional securing of assets in criminal proceedings — the basis for confiscation and compensation.
B
BaFin warning list
Public warnings from the German financial supervisor about providers operating without the licence required by § 32 KWG.
C
Capital investment fraud
Capital investment fraud (§ 264a StGB): false statements presenting an investment favourably when marketing it to a larger group of investors.
Chargeback
Reversal of a card payment through the issuing bank — when it comes into consideration after fraud and which limits apply.
I
Investment fraud
Deceiving investors about a capital investment in order to obtain payments — punishable as fraud under § 263 StGB.
P
Pig butchering
A scam combining weeks of trust-building with fake crypto investments. Definition, typical sequence and help for victims.
Ponzi scheme
An arrangement funding payouts from the deposits of new investors, which collapses inevitably — features and legal position.
R
Recovery scam
A follow-up fraud in which supposed recovery services promise defrauded victims their money back against advance payment.
U
Unregulated broker
A provider without the licence required by § 32 KWG. Why the missing supervision is a clear warning sign.
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