Cybertrace is a Leader in Crypto Scam Investigations

Cybertrace is a leading global cyber investigations firm based in Australia.  We specialise in scam investigations and tracing stolen cryptocurrency, with our services being instrumental to successful asset recovery operations.  Although we are based in Australia we specialise in crypto tracing worldwide.

Founded by Dan Halpin, a former Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) operative, Cybertrace was the first company in Australia to offer crypto tracing to the general public in 2017, to combat scammers.

A true innovator who has been security cleared to the highest level, Dan demonstrates utmost professionalism and integrity, values that are also embodied by his team of diligent investigators. 

With combined decades of investigation and intelligence experience, our expert team of Investigators and Analysts provides unparalleled services to clients internationally, helping to recover lost or stolen cryptocurrency.

Expertise in Cryptocurrency Tracing

With decades of experience in both the public and private sectors, we have a sophisticated understanding of cryptocurrency-enabled cybercrime specifically scam investigations. We direct our expertise to tracing lost and stolen cryptocurrency for clients all around the world, enabling the pursuit of criminals no matter where they are. 

Our investigations are conducted by certified experts with the following qualifications:

  • Cryptocurrency Tracing Certified Examiners (CTCE)
  • Chainalysis Cryptocurrency Fundamentals Certification (CCFC)
  • Chainalysis Reactor Certification (CRC)
Chainalysis Fundimentals Certification for cryptocurrency tracing. Dan Halpin from Cybertrace Australia who are expert scam investigators.
CTCE Ciphertrace Crypto tracing certification for Dan Halpin from Cybertrace Australia who are expert scam investigators.
Chainalysis Reactor Certification for cryptocurrency tracing. Dan Halpin from Cybertrace Australia who are expert scam investigators.

At Cybertrace, we leverage Chainalysis cryptocurrency tracing software to perform Blockchain forensics and trace cryptocurrency transactions. Chainalysis is one of the most comprehensive and widely used tools globally, trusted by governments, banks, and law enforcement agencies to gather critical Blockchain intelligence.

As the first providers of crypto tracing in Australia to the public, Cybertrace are leaders in the field, with the most experienced crypto investigators available to support you. We have a proven track record of success and have assisted many law enforcement operations through our crypto trace investigations. We are committed to providing an outstanding level of service to all clients.

Furthermore, we truly understand that time is of the essence when it comes to asset recovery. That’s why we work quickly and efficiently to trace your lost or stolen cryptocurrency.

We conduct cryptocurrency investigations for criminal and civil cases and even appear in courts as crypto experts.

Cybertrace’s Advanced Cryptocurrency Tracing Techniques

Our cryptocurrency tracing services are designed to help you identify and track the movement of your cryptocurrency, even if it has been transferred through multiple wallets, mixed and diluted. 

Based in Australia, our scam investigators use advanced tracing techniques and cutting-edge technology to follow the trail of lost assets and locate them.

As industry leaders and innovators, we have successfully completed hundreds of crypto tracing investigations since expanding operations in 2020 to include this service. 

Chainalysis Cryptocurrency Software and Proven Success Rates

The software that we use at Cybertrace was developed by Chainalysis. This company provides us with mission-critical intelligence and data-driven insights that assist us in solving crypto crime. Chainalysis is used by some of the globe’s leading law enforcement agencies and is a powerful tool when combined with our analysts’ world-class experience and investigative skillset. 

Our work plays a vital role in helping victims get justice, their assets back, and an understanding of how to operate more securely in the future. We offer standalone cryptocurrency tracing, along with comprehensive cyber fraud investigations and website cyber forensics.

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How Crypto Tracing Works

Crypto Tracing – a Crucial Step in the Asset Recovery Process

Cryptocurrency tracing is the method of tracking cryptocurrency transactions on the blockchain to locate assets and identify offenders. Cryptocurrency tracing is the first step in the process of recovering digital assets lost to a scam, hack or theft.

How it all Begins

Victims of crypto scams are often encouraged by the scammer to register an account at a crypto exchange. A cryptocurrency exchange, such as Binance or Coinspot is a company that allows people to exchange fiat currency to crypto and crypto back into fiat currency.

Exchanges and KYC

When the victim registers an account at an exchange, usually the exchange will require ID documents to be uploaded. The requirement is part of the Know Your Customer (KYC) policies enforced upon most companies registered to provide financial services. Anti Money Laundering (AML) and KYC policies exist to prevent fraud and money laundering. 

Once the victim has successfully satisfied the KYC requirements, the exchange allows them to use their services. Commonly, the victim sends their money to the exchange, buys crypto, and then sends the crypto to the scammer’s wallet address. This is the moment the funds leave control of the victim and is where our crypto trace investigation begins. 

Crypto Tracing

After gathering all relevant information from clients, our Blockchain Forensics and Tracing team determines which transactions to trace. Next, our team uses highly sophisticated tracing software to track the victim’s funds, usually through a maze of transactions across the blockchain, to identify the final destination.

Final Destination / Cash-Out Transaction

Our investigators trace your crypto until we identify the scammer sending it to an exchange. At this point, the offenders are commonly converting the crypto back into fiat currency and trying to transfer the funds into their bank account. This is the part of the laundering process we call the “cash-out transaction”.

Identifying Offenders

Just as we explored above, when the victim wants to start using a crypto exchange, they are required to prove to the exchange who they are by meeting KYC requirements. Almost all exchanges around the world now enforce KYC requirements, meaning that when the scammer wants to change the crypto into fiat currency, they are required to use an account at an exchange, which is likely linked to ID documents. 

Once the cash-out transactions and the exchange used are identified, then law enforcement or potentially a lawyer, can submit a request to the exchange to ask for the KYC records (the offender’s identifying information). 

The exchange where the funds are cashed out may hold the following records about the scammer:

  • Identification documents
  • Full name and address
  • Contact information
  • IP address logs used to access the account
  • Bank account linked to the user’s account
  • Full crypto transaction history

As the first company in Australia to provide crypto tracing to the general public, Cybertrace has spent many years educating fraud victims and law enforcement agencies about how we use crypto tracing to identify offenders. 

Only if an offender is identified, are there any options to try to pursue the scammer and recover the funds. The recovery process may require further collaboration with law enforcement and/or the engagement of lawyers. At Cybertrace we have demonstrated time and again our capabilities in locating clients’ assets. 

The below image visualised the flow of funds from the victim’s bank account, to the crypto exchange and finally once traced, to the cash-out transaction.

Demonstrates a scam investigation cases especially cryptocurrency tracing investigation and how the money flows in Australia and worldwide.

Working with the Police

In stolen cryptocurrency cases it is often necessary for the police to be involved in the process. Once our investigations have identified the exchanges and cash-out transactions, our clients can present the results to the Police. Law enforcement in Australia and most other countries can action the trace results by emailing the cryptocurrency exchange involved to obtain the records associated with the cash-out transactions to identify the scammer. 

As cryptocurrency fraud is a relatively new form of crime, police responses vary by country, jurisdiction, police station and even individual officers. 

No matter where you are or who you are dealing with, Cybertrace scam investigation reports supply you with detailed cryptocurrency trace data for your case and identify the destination wallet.

We also provide infographics that illustrate the flow of funds on the Blockchain. Visualising how funds have transacted is crucial to easily understand the otherwise complex Blockchain data. We even provide a draft request letter and the relevant email addresses to the police to make the process as easy as possible for them to take the investigation to the next stage.  

The Reality of Crypto Recovery: No Quick Fix, but Real Solutions

Contrary to the claims of recovery scammers, asset recovery is not a quick fix. 

Having said that, and holding integrity as paramount in our practice, we have successfully supported many clients through our in-house expertise and via international partners. 

As recognised global leaders in the field, we offer the best chance of recovering your money.

As cyber criminals operate without borders and across multiple jurisdictions, law enforcement struggles to correctly identify foreign offenders. That’s where Cybertrace’s expertise comes in, with our full certification for complex transaction tracing. 

Why Choose Cybertrace

We are experts in the scam investigation and intelligence collection environments. Our documentation and reporting practices are impeccable, and our investigations are unrestrained by the kinds of red tape that public law enforcers face. 

This means we strike quickly and efficiently to track cryptocurrency scammers. 

We also work together with relevant law enforcement agencies and legal teams to recover money stolen from people through cryptocurrency fraud and bring scammers to justice in the quickest, most efficient ways possible. 

The important thing to remember is that you are not alone. We pride ourselves not only on our investigative capabilities but also on our honest and transparent approach. Our team will always provide you with honest and realistic information. 

To discuss your case with our Australia-based team of scam investigation experts, contact us today. 

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, most cryptocurrencies can be traced. Each cryptocurrency transaction is recorded on a public ledger known as the blockchain. Transaction data includes the sending address, recipient's address, amount transacted, and the date and time of the transaction. Analysis of the blockchain allows for the tracing of funds from one wallet address to another, and ultimately to a cryptocurrency exchange. The cryptocurrency exchange is where identification of the offender or beneficiary will be held, due to Know Your Customer (KYC) policies.
Tracing can be conducted on all major cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, Binance Coin, Litecoin, Solana, Ripple, Dogecoin, USD Coin, and more. Coins like Monero, Zcash, and Dash incorporate advanced cryptographic techniques to enhance user privacy. They utilise features to obfuscate details such as transaction IDs and sending/receiving wallet addresses, making transactions much harder to trace and providing enhanced privacy for their users.
As each case is unique, the amount of time can vary for cryptocurrency tracing, however, generally, our cryptocurrency tracing takes anywhere between 4 - 6 weeks. For urgent cases our team can prioritise your case.
Yes, recovering money from scammed cryptocurrency is possible, but it depends on various factors, such as the fraudster’s tactics and jurisdiction. Cryptocurrency tracing is always the first step in the process. Once we have identified an offending wallet address, the next step is to find out who owns the wallet. From there the recovery stage can be entered.
Again, as each case is unique, all of our cryptocurrency traces are independently quoted. There are various factors that can influence the cost of tracing, such as the type of token and how many transactions need to be traced.
Generally, the process of tracing is the following:
  • Analyse the blockchain.
  • Identify offending addresses.
  • Trace the funds transaction paths.
  • Investigate recipient identities.
Yes, cryptocurrency transactions remain on the blockchain infinitely, so there is no timeframe to trace your cryptocurrency. Technically, the transactions records are frozen in time and we can conduct crypto tracing no matter how long ago the scam took place. However, to get justice and try to recover funds, it is not beneficial to wait and a quick response to the fraud is recommended.