Cyber Fraud & Scam Investigation
Cyber Fraud & Scam Investigators Tracing Scammers Globally
Cybertrace assists scam victims, lawyers and businesses with cyber fraud investigations. Our investigators analyse digital evidence to identify offenders and provide clear findings for recovery action, legal pathways or police referrals.
Speak With a Scam Investigator
We never share or sell your data — 100% confidential.
You've Lost Money to a Scam
You’ve been the victim of an investment scam. You need an experienced scam investigator to trace digital footprints, unmask the offender and ultimately assist in the process of recovering funds.
You’ve been targeted in a romance scam. Romance scams start with emotions, but typically escalate financially. A fraud investigation assists in identifying the scammer, leading to justice being served and options to recover your money.
You’ve been hacked and your crypto stolen. Cryptocurrency hacks, wallet compromises and phishing attacks can cause significant losses within minutes. Investigating stolen crypto requires fast, technical analysis of wallet activity, transaction flows, exchange exposure and the digital infrastructure used by the offender.
You need evidence for a legal case or law enforcement action. Obtaining evidence and compiling information can often be difficult. A scam investigator can identify evidence and present results in a structured court admissible report to support legal proceedings or assist law enforcement action.
You’ve been involved in an asset recovery scam. Scam victims are often approached again by fake recovery companies. A legitimate fraud investigation focuses on evidence, identifying the offender and realistic recovery pathways, rather than false promises or unrealistic guarantees.
Dan Halpin
Founder & CEO
Cybertrace is led by Founder and CEO Dan Halpin, who has more than two decades of experience in investigations, intelligence and security risk management across public and private sectors. His background includes work with Australian intelligence (ASIO), Australian Federal Police, and government agencies. This experience informs Cybertrace's practical, evidence-focused approach to cyber fraud and scam investigations.
- 20+ Years' Experience
- Australian Intelligence (ASIO)
- Australian Federal Police
The First Step is Identifying the Scammer
Proven experience and results: Before funds can be recovered, frozen, traced further, or pursued through legal channels, there must be evidence showing where the money went and who is responsible. Scam investigations are designed to identify the real offenders.
Real investigation and victim support: Cybertrace does not promise instant recovery or make unrealistic claims. Our role is to investigate the scam, identify leads, trace digital evidence and prepare findings to assist with police reports, legal action, exchange requests, asset recovery pathways or further investigation.
Advanced investigation methodology: Our investigations combine technical analysis, open source intelligence, blockchain tracing, website forensics, proprietary data, tracing capabilities and traditional investigative methodology. We focus on producing clear, practical findings that can be understood by victims, lawyers, banks, police and other relevant parties.
Registered, insured and licensed:
Cybertrace is an Australian registered investigation company and licensed by the NSW Government. We specialise in scam investigations, cryptocurrency tracing, website forensics and online offender identification. Since 2015, we have assisted clients all around the world with complex cyber fraud matters.
Cybertrace International Pty Ltd
Australian Company Number: 690 241 279
License Number: 000110526
License Expiry: October 2030
Clear, actionable intelligence: Combining our techniques, tools, expertise and databases our investigations can provide intelligence that is actionable and clear. We do not produce reports that reiterate how the fraud occurred, we investigate comprehensively to reveal the individuals responsible for the crime.
What Types of Scams do we Investigate?
Cybertrace investigates a wide range of scams and cyber fraud matters.
Investment Scams & Fake Trading Platforms
We investigate fake investment opportunities, fraudulent brokers, cloned trading platforms and online investment schemes designed to deceive victims into transferring money or cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency Scams & Pig Butchering Scams
We investigate cryptocurrency scams involving fake trading apps, manipulated trading accounts, fake wallets and impersonation tokens, and long-term grooming tactics commonly used in pig butchering scams.
Romance Scams
We investigate romance scams involving fake identities, manipulated and AI images, social media profiles, catfishing and identity theft, messaging accounts and payment pathways used to exploit victims emotionally and financially.
Asset Recovery Scams
We investigate fake recovery companies that target scam victims a second time by promising to recover lost funds. These matters often involve impersonation, false credentials and fake legal claims.
Email & Invoice Fraud
We investigate business email compromise, payment redirection fraud, fake invoices, supplier impersonation and email-based scams targeting individuals and companies.
Phishing Scams & Stolen Cryptocurrency
We investigate phishing websites, domains and emails, compromised wallet access, stolen seed phrases and unauthorised transfers used to steal cryptocurrency or personal information.
Employment & Job Scams
We investigate fake recruitment offers, task scams, employment fraud, e-commerce shop scams, and impersonation of legitimate companies that use job opportunities to scam victims.
Phone & SMS Scams
We investigate scam phone numbers, SMS phishing, impersonation messages and malicious links to identify the infrastructure and individuals behind the communication.
Targeted by a scam that isn’t listed above? Cybertrace may still be able to assist. Our team can review the available information and advise whether there are realistic investigative pathways.
Who we Assist
Specialised scam investigations for individuals, lawyers, companies and partners.
Individuals
We assist people who have been targeted by scams including investment scams, romance scams and cryptocurrency phishing scams. Investigations aim to collect intelligence and evidence, identify the offender, and support realistic pathways for recovery action.
Lawyers Representing Clients
Cybertrace works closely with lawyers representing clients in matters related to large-scale frauds, disputes and group or class action proceedings. We provide evidence that supports legal strategies, subpoenas, disclosure requests, freezing orders, police referrals and court proceedings.
Companies and Organisations
Our team investigates investment scams, invoice fraud, impersonations of corporate entities and fraud related matters. Investigations focus on understanding activity, supporting risk alleviation and identifying responsible parties.
What Do Our Clients Say?
Individuals, businesses and legal professionals who came to us after being targeted by a scam.
How Does it Work?
From first contact to final report, here is how a Cybertrace investigation works.
- Initial Consultation Our investigations begin with a consultation with our client. We first need to understand the situation in order to identify the best way to assist our clients.
- Data Collection and Assessment After the consultation, our team reviews the available information, such as any contact details, emails, websites, documents, any transaction records and other records relating to the scam. Our assessment is an important and necessary step that will direct the investigation and determine the best approach.
- Proposal and Scope of Work From the information provided by the client and our initial assessment, we then define a clear scope of work and a proposal. Our approach is tailored to your needs and which investigation approach will best benefit the investigation. We offer flexible options depending on the client’s circumstances.
- The Investigation Our investigators analyse the available evidence to identify digital footprints, connected accounts, payment pathways, websites, wallets, infrastructure and other links associated with the scam. Where relevant, we examine domain records, hosting data, blockchain transactions, email records, phone numbers, social media accounts, corporate records, open source intelligence and other available sources. Our investigations can be carried out across jurisdictions, regardless of where the offender, website, wallet or infrastructure appears to be located.
- Findings and Reporting After our investigation is completed, we provide an in-depth and comprehensive report outlining our findings and recommendations to move forward. The report is structured for user ease while maintaining professionalism and a high level of detail. Our reports have been used by leading law enforcement agencies around the world and in courts internationally.
- Next Steps and Referrals Based on the investigation’s outcome, we will likely outline possible next steps, recommendations, and where relevant, connect you with trusted partners within our global network, depending on the jurisdiction or location of identified offenders.
We never share or sell your data — 100% confidential.
Cyber Fraud & Scam Investigation FAQ's
Phishing, romance baiting, and online investment scams are some of the most frequent types of cyber fraud, targeting individuals through deceptive communications or websites. Online job scams are also one of the most sophisticated and prevalent types of fraud currently occurring.
The chance of recovering money lost to a scam depends on each individual situation. The first step in the asset recovery process is to investigate and identify the offender. If the scammer is identified through an investigation, you will have options to recover your money.
While recovering money can be difficult, our scam investigators specialise in identifying scammers and providing the evidence necessary for legal or police action, which could help in asset recovery.
Recovering funds from a scam is certainly not a quick and easy process. However, scammers shouldn't get away with it any longer and Cybertrace’s proven track record demonstrates the capacity to assist in financial fraud recovery.
To avoid being scammed, always verify the legitimacy of websites and emails before engaging with them. However, it is important to note that fraudsters are extremely clever in how they falsify their legitimacy. Sometimes they impersonate registered and licensed companies, or steal the financial licence details of unsuspecting professionals. Even the most savvy investors can conduct their own indepth due diligence, only to later learn the investment was not genuine. Cybertrace provides scam prevention services for those wanting to ensure the legitimacy of an investment. And we have a range of scam prevention tools available.
The time it takes to investigate cyber fraud varies depending on the case. Cybertrace prioritises important tasks as soon as engaged, such as downloading a forensic copy of the scam website and conducting other techniques that cannot be done if the scam website becomes inactive.
Our investigations focus on results, not a quick turnaround time. Complex fraud cases require in-depth investigations and there are no shortcuts to the desired result.
Whilst the victim’s funds are sent in crypto, there is still a beneficiary of the fraud and through identification of the offender, the recovery process can be commenced. There certainly is no quick and easy method. Recovery does not mean hacking into wallets or reversing transactions on the Blockchain, but yes, crypto can be recovered if the offender can be identified. By tracing the victim’s crypto, the scammer can be identified and then pursued.
If you want to report a scam, most countries will have a government website to report scams. In Australia, you can report a scam to ScamWatch, ReportCyber, your local police (any country), or if you are in the USA, report a scam to the FBI – IC3.
A scam investigator is a private specialist who undertakes investigations for online fraud cases, commonly referred to as scam investigations. They primarily identify offenders, collect digital evidence, and support victims, lawyers, and law enforcement with factual findings. They commonly investigate things such as fake investment websites, romance scams, payment redirection fraud, impersonation scams, and cryptocurrency scams.
Their work may include:
• Analysing websites, emails, phone numbers, cryptocurrency wallets, social media accounts, and domain records.
• Tracing transactions and general cyber footprints.
• Identifying offenders or linked entities.
• Preserving evidence for court.
• Preparing reports for victims, lawyers, banks, regulators, or police.
A scam investigator usually does not “get your money back” directly, however, their specialist work is essential for any asset recovery operation. Their main role is to investigate, identify, trace, and document the scam and identify offenders so the evidence can be used for recovery efforts, legal action, exchange requests, or police referrals.
Cybertrace are recognised global experts in Scam Investigations with over 10 years’ experience. We have pioneered investigative techniques now known as website forensics and were the first company in Australia to offer cryptocurrency tracing services to the public. Unlike the majority of scam investigators, Cybertrace use hybrid reporting by providing both evidence and intelligence linked to the offenders. Should evidence be limited, Cybertrace scam investigators provide intelligence that often drives the direction of subsequent police investigations and recovery operations.
An online scam is a fraudulent scheme conducted over the internet where a scammer deceives a victim into sending money, personal information, or assets. These scams often involve fake websites, impersonation, fake trading platforms or investment opportunities designed to appear legitimate.
Yes, Cybertrace works with law enforcement agencies in Australia and around the world.
Police are often overwhelmed by the volume of cyber scam reports they receive, which can result in delays or limited action for victims. Cybertrace assists by conducting a private fraud investigation, identifying evidence and preparing structured reports that help victims present their case more clearly to law enforcement.
In some matters, police involvement may be required. Victims have a stronger chance of having their matter reviewed or actioned when they can provide a detailed Cybertrace report outlining the evidence, investigative leads and, where possible, the individuals responsible.
In previous matters, evidence collected by Cybertrace has been used by law enforcement agencies in Australia and overseas. Cybertrace reports have also been accepted and used in criminal and civil court matters internationally, including in the United States, Israel and Argentina.
Cybertrace fraud investigations have contributed to law enforcement outcomes including call centre raids and international arrests.
Tracing a scammer usually requires analysing the digital evidence they have left behind. This may include websites, phone numbers, email addresses, crypto wallets, social media profiles, usernames, payments, documents and communications.
Cybertrace uses a combination of cyber investigation techniques, open source intelligence, blockchain analysis, website forensics, specialist databases and traditional investigative methodology to identify digital footprints and connect them to individuals or organised scam networks.
Here are some unique capabilities and tools Cybertrace has developed so that you can conduct your own searches to trace the scammer.
Scam Phone Lookup Tool (SPNL):
If the scammer contacted you by phone or WhatsApp, you can search the phone number using Cybertrace’s free Scam Phone Lookup Tool. This may help identify whether the number has previously been reported, whether it appears in scam related activity, or whether it has indicators consistent with scam use.
Deep Scan:
Cybertrace’s phone number Deep Scan capability allows users to conduct deeper checks across multiple data points connected to a scam. This tool is a real investigative capability able to link phone numbers to names, online accounts and other identifying points to assist identifying scammers.
If you believe you have been scammed, act quickly. Save all messages, emails, phone numbers, websites, screenshots, transaction receipts, wallet addresses, bank transfer records and documents connected to the case. Do not delete communications with the scammer, and do not send further funds. Cybertrace can review the available evidence and advise whether there are realistic investigative pathways.