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The hours after you realise what has happened are the ones that matter most — and they are also the hours in which people are most likely to make the situation worse, usually by paying one more time. This guide sets out what to do, in order.
In short
Make no further payments, secure all evidence (contracts, chats, statements, wallet addresses), inform your bank or payment provider immediately, consider filing a criminal complaint, and have your civil claims assessed. The earlier you act, the better payment flows can be traced and assets secured.
Why stopping payments comes first
Fraud schemes are built to be repeatable. Once you have paid a “release fee”, paying a “transfer tax” feels like a smaller step to protect the larger sum — and that sunk-cost logic is exactly what the scheme exploits. This is why the total loss in these cases so often exceeds the original investment.
What evidence should I secure, and why?
Do this before anything else, because platforms disappear and accounts get closed.
| Evidence | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Contracts, terms, prospectuses | Establish what was promised and by whom |
| Complete chat and e-mail histories | Show the approach, the promises and the pressure applied |
| Payment receipts and bank statements | Prove the loss and reveal the receiving accounts |
| Wallet addresses and transaction IDs | Make on-chain flows traceable |
| Screenshots of the platform and balance | Document the displayed profits that were never real |
| Phone numbers and names used | Frequently reappear across other cases |
Export data where an export function exists — a screenshot of a spreadsheet is weaker evidence than the file itself. Do not delete the account or the app, however much you want to.
Should I contact my bank?
Yes, and quickly. Depending on how you paid, the bank or payment service provider may have options that expire: a recent transfer may still be reachable, and a card payment may be within the window in which a chargeback can be prompted. Nothing here is guaranteed — the decision lies with the bank and the card scheme — but the window is short enough that waiting removes the option entirely.
Is it worth filing a criminal complaint?
In most cases yes, as one part of the response rather than the whole of it. A complaint can lead to accounts being blocked and assets secured, and it opens the route to the investigation file through a lawyer. What it does not do is order anyone to repay you. The guide to criminal complaints sets out the process, what to include and where the limits are.
When should I involve a lawyer?
Earlier than most people do. The value is not in writing an angry letter to a platform that will never answer it — it is in deciding which of several possible routes is worth pursuing, framing the complaint so that securing measures are actually considered, and reading the investigation file once it becomes available.
A sound legal assessment should also tell you when not to proceed. Where perpetrators cannot be identified and no assets are within reach, further steps mostly generate costs. Being told that clearly is worth as much as being told the opposite.
What about the offers of help that arrive afterwards?
Data on victims is traded among perpetrators, which is why the caller often knows your platform, your amount and your dates. That knowledge is not proof of legitimacy; it is a warning sign. Our recovery scam warning explains the pattern in detail and shows how to verify any provider — including us.
Next step
If you are affected, have your options assessed before you spend any more money. Describe your case through our free initial assessment — confidential, without obligation, and with an honest answer about what is realistic in your situation.