Scam type
Investment Scams
Investment fraud persuades people to transfer money into schemes that appear professional — trading platforms with live-looking dashboards, 'wealth managers' with polished documents, or exclusive opportunities promoted through social media and messaging apps.
If you have been affected, the most useful things you can do right now are to stop sending money, preserve every record, and notify your bank and the police promptly. ChargeBack can then help you organise the evidence, analyse the payment flows, and understand which dispute or complaint channels may apply to your situation.
The pattern
How this scam typically works
The approach
Contact often starts through social media adverts, dating apps, messaging groups, or a cold call. The 'opportunity' looks established: a working website, account managers, and documents that imitate legitimate firms.
The convincing phase
Small early 'profits' appear on a dashboard, and sometimes a small withdrawal is allowed. This builds trust and encourages larger deposits.
The escalation
Victims are pushed to invest more — bonuses, margin calls, tax pre-payments, or 'limited windows'. Requests often shift to harder-to-trace payment methods.
The exit
Withdrawals are blocked behind fees that never end, the account manager disappears, or the platform goes offline entirely.
Warning signs
- Returns described as guaranteed, fixed, or risk-free
- Pressure to decide quickly or deposit before a deadline
- Payment requested by crypto transfer or to personal accounts
- Withdrawal requests met with new fees or 'taxes'
- The firm is not findable on your national regulator's register
- Contact only through messaging apps, never verifiable offices
What to do right now
- Stop all further payments, including any 'release fees' — legitimate firms do not charge fees to give your own money back.
- Contact your bank or card issuer immediately and tell them you believe you have been defrauded; ask what protection or recall options apply.
- Report the matter to your local police or national fraud-reporting service and keep the reference number.
- Preserve everything: statements, receipts, emails, chat messages, the platform's web addresses, and screenshots of your account.
- Do not engage anyone who contacts you unprompted offering to recover your money — this is a common follow-up scam.
Evidence worth collecting
- Bank and card statements showing each transfer
- Deposit confirmations and platform receipts
- Screenshots of the trading dashboard and account balances
- All emails and chat conversations with the platform
- The website addresses, company names, and phone numbers used
- Any contracts, prospectuses, or certificates you were sent
- Police or regulator reference numbers you already have
How ChargeBack can help
- Reconstruct a clear timeline of contacts and payments
- Organise your records into a coherent, shareable case file
- Analyse where your payments went, including on-chain tracing when crypto was involved
- Identify which dispute, recall, or complaint channels may apply to each payment
- Prepare a written summary you can give to your bank, the police, or a lawyer
We assess and document; banks, payment providers, and authorities decide outcomes. No recovery can be guaranteed by anyone.
Possible channels
Dispute and reporting channels that may apply
Which channels are realistic depends on how you paid, where the money went, and how quickly the incident was reported.
Card chargeback
If you paid by credit or debit card, your issuer may be able to raise a dispute under card-scheme rules. Time limits apply, so act promptly.
Bank transfer recall
For bank transfers, your bank can attempt a recall from the receiving bank. Success depends on how quickly funds moved on, which is why early reporting matters.
Police and fraud-reporting services
A police or national fraud-office report creates an official record, can feed wider investigations, and is often required by banks and insurers.
Financial regulator or ombudsman
If a regulated firm was involved in handling your payments, a formal complaint — and, later, an ombudsman referral — may be available.
FAQ
Common questions
Start here
Start with a free, confidential consultation.
Tell us what happened. We will review the information and explain whether our services are relevant — and, if you choose to proceed, exactly what any investigation would involve and cost.