Investment fraud: assessing claims, reclaiming money
Provider vanished, payout refused, returns invented? We represent people affected by investment fraud — from the criminal complaint through access to the investigation file to enforcing your claims under civil law. It starts with a free initial assessment.
Have your case checked — free, in 3 steps
- No guarantee of success
- No cold calling
- Transparent costs
- Confidential & GDPR-compliant
What to do about investment fraud
In short
If you have been defrauded, make no further payments, secure the evidence, inform your bank and have your legal options assessed. A criminal complaint, securing assets and civil claims against perpetrators and participants all come into consideration. The earlier you act, the better payment flows can be traced.
Recognising the pattern
How to spot capital investment fraud
“Guaranteed” returns
Fixed promises of 10, 20 or 50 per cent — guaranteed dream returns do not exist in real investments. Anyone who promises them anyway is selling you a story, not an investment.
Pressure and urgency
“Today only”, constant calls, supposedly exclusive opportunities. Reputable providers do not put investors under time pressure.
Opaque providers abroad
No address for service, changing company names, registered offices in third countries, no BaFin authorisation for deposit or financial services business.
Payout only against a top-up
Profits are displayed, but taxes, fees or deposits are demanded before any “release” — a classic fraud pattern.
BaFin, the German financial supervisory authority, continuously publishes warnings about unauthorised offers. Whether a provider holds a licence can be checked in BaFin’s company database — we take care of that for you as part of the initial assessment.
Legal basis
Your claims after investment fraud
Investment fraud is a criminal offence in Germany: as fraud under § 263 StGB and — where false statements presenting the investment favourably are made to a larger group of investors, for instance in prospectuses or summaries — as capital investment fraud under § 264a StGB. For those affected, however, the criminal proceedings are only half the picture. What is decisive is the civil side: who is liable, and with what assets?
| Claim | Legal basis | Against whom |
|---|---|---|
| Claims in tort | § 823(2) BGB in conjunction with protective statutes (e.g. § 263 StGB, § 32 KWG); § 826 BGB | Perpetrators and the people behind them — for breaching protective statutes or for intentional damage contrary to public policy |
| Prospectus and advisory liability | Including §§ 280, 311 BGB | Providers and advisers who marketed the investment using defective documents or incorrect advice |
| Claims along the payment route | Depends on how you paid: bank transfer, card or crypto transfer | Payment service providers — for example by prompting a chargeback on a card payment; whether that holds in your case is something we examine specifically |
| Securing assets through the criminal proceedings | §§ 73 et seq. StGB, §§ 111b et seq. StPO | The perpetrators’ assets — confiscation and asset freezing by the public prosecutor, the basis for later compensation of injured parties |
Which of these routes will carry weight in your case depends on the facts: who stands behind the offer? Where did the money go? What documents exist? That is exactly what we clarify in the free initial assessment — the four steps it follows are in the next section.
Our approach
How we act for you in investment fraud cases
- 01
Free initial assessment
You describe your case; we examine the provider, the payment routes and the documents — and tell you plainly whether and which steps have prospects.
- 02
Criminal complaint & authorities
We file a well-founded criminal complaint and press for accounts and assets to be secured before funds move on.
- 03
Access to the file
Under § 406e StPO we obtain access to the investigation file — often the decisive source on perpetrators, accounts and those jointly responsible.
- 04
Civil enforcement
We assert your claims out of court and before the courts — against perpetrators, participants and, where tenable, along the payment route.
The initial assessment is free of charge. If costs arise after that, we bill under the statutory scale (RVG) or a fee agreement discussed in advance — agreed up front, with no hidden charges.
Honesty instead of promises
What we do not promise you
After a fraud, trust has been broken — which makes clarity all the more important: nobody can guarantee you repayment. Anyone who does is, as a rule, looking to harm you a second time.
- No guarantee of success
- Reputable legal work comes without guarantees. We tell you honestly which steps stand a chance in your case — and which do not.
- No cold calling
- We never contact fraud victims unsolicited. Anyone who calls you out of the blue promising to recover your money is very likely a fraudster themselves.
- Transparent costs
- Fees follow clear rules — the German statutory fee scale (RVG) or a written agreement — and are explained before any work begins. No hidden upfront charges.
- Confidential & GDPR-compliant
- Your information is treated confidentially and processed exclusively within the EU.
Common questions
Investment fraud — questions we are often asked
Can I get my money back after investment fraud?
That depends on the individual case — blanket assurances are a warning sign in themselves. What matters is whether those responsible can be identified, whether assets can be secured, and which payment routes were used. The sooner you act, the better the chances of tracing payment flows and securing funds. After the initial assessment you will know whether legal steps have any prospect in your case.
What does legal help with investment fraud cost?
The initial assessment of your case is free and without obligation. After that we bill transparently under the German Lawyers’ Remuneration Act (RVG) or on the basis of a clear written fee agreement — the costs are discussed with you in advance. If you hold legal expenses insurance, we handle the coverage enquiry for you.
How quickly do I need to act after investment fraud?
As quickly as possible. The best opportunities to stop payments or have accounts frozen exist in the first few days. Civil claims are generally time-barred three years after the end of the year in which you learned of the damage and of the party responsible (§§ 195, 199 BGB) — different periods can apply in individual cases.
Is filing a criminal complaint actually worthwhile?
Often yes, as one building block: public prosecutors can block accounts and have assets secured by way of an asset freeze. Through a lawyer’s access to the investigation file (§ 406e StPO) we frequently also obtain information on perpetrators, accounts and payment routes that is decisive for civil enforcement. What a complaint is not, however, is an automatic route to repayment.
A “recovery firm” has offered to help me — is that legitimate?
Extreme caution is warranted: anyone who contacts victims unsolicited and promises to recover the money against advance payment is very likely a fraudster themselves (a so-called recovery scam). Reputable law firms give no guarantees of success and do not acquire clients by cold call. Always verify providers through official registers.
Free initial assessment
Describe your case — free initial assessment
Bullet points are enough. You will get an assessment of which steps come into consideration in your case — free and without obligation.
Free and without obligation. Costs only arise if you expressly instruct us afterwards — the fee under the RVG or a written fee agreement is discussed with you in advance. If you hold legal expenses insurance, we check the cover for you.
Who we can act for
We are admitted in Germany and act under German law. We can normally help when at least one of these is true: you live in Germany, you paid from a bank or exchange account in Germany or the EU, or a company, bank or payment provider involved is based here. For people in Austria or Switzerland we can act where the case has a connection to Germany or the EU — a bank, a payment provider or a party based here. If none applies, say so in your enquiry — we will tell you plainly whether we can act.
Your next step
Have your case reviewed now, free of charge
Tell us how the investment came about and where your money went — even if you are missing documents. We will get back to you with an assessment of which steps have prospects in your case.
Free and without obligation. Costs only arise if you expressly instruct us afterwards — the fee under the RVG or a written fee agreement is discussed with you in advance. If you hold legal expenses insurance, we check the cover for you.
No guarantee of success — but a clear assessment. Your data is never passed on and is processed exclusively within the EU.
- 01You describe your case — online or by phone
- 02We get back to you promptly
- 03You receive an initial assessment — free and without obligation