Return from financial scammers: how to return your money and not become a victim again

Krympress reports:

Fraud in the field of finance takes more and more sophisticated forms: from pseudo-ribs and benches to fake investment platforms and hype projects. Losses can be calculated by hundreds of thousands of rubles — and even millions. But is it possible to return money from scammers? In this material we figure out what types of financial deception are, how to act in case of loss and how realistic to return the stolen funds — https://hint-agent.com/.

The main forms of financial fraud

Financial scammers use a variety of schemes. Here are the most common of them:

Incorrectly working brokers

Unlicensed brokers lure the attractive conditions of trade. After making funds, access to the account is blocked, operations are suspended, and requests for the withdrawal are ignored.

False investment platforms

Platforms offer to invest in “promising” projects, IPO, “secret” insider ideas. Often demonstrated artificially painted yield. After making money, the site disappears or access to the account is limited.

Financial pyramids

An old, but still popular format: payments to participants are made at the expense of new investors. As soon as the stream of depositors stops, the scheme collapses.

Crypto-ribs and cryptocurrencies

Pseudo-relics can copy well-known platforms, collect money under the guise of buying tokens or fiat-critic metabolism. Often a fake platform with zero withdrawal of funds is often used.

Fake funds and financial consultants

People who pretend to be for investment advisers offer to transfer funds supposedly to “reliable funds” — in fact, money comes directly to fraudsters.

False Banks and credit scammers

Fictive microfinance organizations and “banks” promise profitable loans, but require an advance payment, pledges or “insurance”, after which they disappear.

Hype projects and «profitable schemes»

Projects promising daily or weekly profits are often on the verge of absurdity: “Get 5% per day without investments”. These schemes do not live long and are often manually controlled to manipulate the investor’s trust.

Is it possible to return the money from scammers?

It is difficult to return funds from financial scammers, but in some cases it is possible. The result depends on many factors:

• how long the money was transferred;
• How were they listed (bank transfer, map, cryptocurrency);
• Whether evidence has been preserved (chats, screenshots, account numbers);
• Whether a company or a platform is registered in jurisdiction, where it is realistic to file a complaint;
• Is there a license from a broker or other organization.

What steps to take when detecting fraud

Save all evidence

It is important to collect the maximum data:

• correspondence with representatives of the platform;
• screenshots of operations and sites;
• confirmation of payments;
• links to web resources;
• Information about the company and contact details.

Contact the bank immediately

If the transfer was made on bank details or from the card, immediately file an application for ChargEback (Chargeback) — Return of funds for a disputed transaction. The faster you apply, the higher the chances of success.

Write a statement to the police

Even if you doubt success, an official statement in the Ministry of Internal Affairs is important to fix the fact of a crime and may come in handy in the future.

Report to Rospotrebnadzor and the Bank of Russia

If the company worked on the territory of the Russian Federation, a complaint to these bodies will help to start a check. It is important to know: the Central Bank is a list of companies with signs of illegal activities.

File a complaint to international regulators

If the platform is registered abroad, look for it in ASIC (Australia), FCA (UK), Cysec (Cyprus), Finma (Switzerland) and others. There you can file a complaint.

Help of specialists: who to contact

An independent refund of money is often difficult. Here are specialists who can help:

Lawyers specializing in Chardzhbek

They help to issue and justify the application for a return to banks and payment systems.

IT-legalists

They specialize in cases related to cryptocurrencies, offshore sites, online militancy.

Refund Services

Such organizations are engaged in a comprehensive analysis of the situation, submitting applications, negotiations. It is important to check the reputation — there are also scammers in this area.

Blockchain analytics

If the money has gone to the crypto -leaf, it is possible to track the movement of funds along the blockchain and determine their path.

Return methods: how Chargeback works and similar tools

Chargeback (return on a controversial transaction)

Submitted through the card banking bank (Visa, MasterCard, Mir). Usually available within 120 days from the date of payment. We need to prove that you:

• did not receive a service;
• became a victim of fraud;
• They did not agree on the operation.

If the bank considers the claim justified, the money will return.

Translations through payment systems

If the money was sent through PayPal, Skrill, Wise, it is possible to open a dispute and file a claim.

Return of cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency transfers are not subject to return directly. However, you can:

• Track the transaction;
• send official requests to exchanges if the assets are on the centralized platform;
• Use the help of analysts to make a legally significant statement.

When the return is impossible

It is almost impossible to return the money in the following situations:

• The platform ceased to exist and is not officially registered;
• payments were made in cryptocurrency for «cold» wallets;
• There are no evidence of translation and correspondence;
• A significant period has passed (more than 120 days for banks, more than 1 year for criminal cases).

How not to become a victim again: protection tips

• Check the availability of licenses for brokers and platforms;
• Use only trusted banks and exchanges;
• Do not trust the promises of “fast” and “guaranteed” profits;
• Study reviews on independent sites (not on the project website itself!);
• Configure two -factor authentication and monitoring of transactions.

Financial fraud is massive, but not hopeless. If you are faced with scammers, do not delay — the sooner you start acting, the higher the chance to return the money. It is important to seek help from specialists, save evidence and use the official return channels. And most importantly — to be vigilant: scammers are developing, but the protection tools are becoming more powerful.

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