Crypto scams and fake exchanges
A fake crypto exchange shows profits, but your withdrawal never arrives. We trace where your cryptocurrency went and help you understand which actions are possible.
Fake crypto exchange: how to spot one.
The script is almost always the same: a contact on social media or Telegram, a kind and well-prepared "adviser", a professional-looking platform. The first small withdrawals sometimes work, to build trust. Then come larger deposits, growing balances and finally the block: taxes, anti-money-laundering checks, "release fees".
Cryptocurrency does not vanish into thin air: every transfer leaves a public trace. We analyse addresses and transactions to identify each hop and any regulated exchanges involved.
Why a fake crypto exchange leaves traces.
Many victims think cryptocurrency is anonymous and therefore impossible to follow. In reality, every transfer made to a fake crypto exchange stays on the blockchain. Addresses, amounts and times are public. The hard part is reading this data correctly and linking it to people who can be identified.
So we analyse the wallets the funds left from, follow every hop and find the regulated exchanges where the money was converted. We also check the domain and hosting of the platform, which is often linked to sites that were already reported. The result is a clear technical report for the lawyer and the authorities.
If you do not know where to start, read the guide on what to do now or go back to the overview of the digital fraud we handle. Also, report every fake crypto exchange to the police and to your national financial regulator, such as the Consob in Italy.
Finally, if the platform contacts you again, do not reply and keep these messages too.
Fake crypto exchange: what we analyse
Domain and platform
Domain registration, hosting, clones and links to other known platforms.
On-chain transactions
Reconstruction of movements from wallet to wallet, up to the exit points.
Exchanges involved
Identification of exchanges and regulated services to which reports can be sent.
Technical report
A report with evidence, hashes, addresses and timeline for lawyers and authorities.
How we work
Evidence collection
Screenshots, chats, receipts, wallet addresses and hashes.
Tracing
Analysis of the flows on the blockchain.
Report
An organised, verifiable technical report.
Action
Reports and legal action with our partner law firm.
- Via Principe Amedeo 42A, 46100 Mantova
- +39 0376 321622
- avvocato@gioviale.com
- PEC avvocato@pec.gioviale.com
A complete path: technical, legal and tax.
For the legal side – formal notices, criminal complaints, civil and criminal actions to recover funds – we work with Studio Legale Gioviale & Partners. We handle the technical analysis and the reconstruction of the flows; the law firm takes the actions before the competent authorities.
For tax matters we work with Dott. Fabio De Angelis, chartered accountant, employment consultant and statutory auditor, an expert in tax litigation: he assesses the tax treatment of money lost or recovered and assists in any disputes with the tax authorities.
- Corso A. Gramsci 20, 00045 Genzano di Roma
- 06 9362808 · 06 9364119 FAX 06 93956751
- fdaced@tin.it
Fake crypto exchange: questions.
No. Being asked to pay to release a withdrawal is one of the most typical signs of a scam: every additional payment is almost always lost.
Yes: on blockchains such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tron every transaction is public. Funds can be followed between addresses and identified when they reach exchanges or identifiable services.
The wallet addresses you sent from, the hashes (TXIDs) of the transactions, the platform URL, chats with the so-called advisers, receipts for transfers and card payments.
Tell us what happened.
Fill in the form or message us on WhatsApp: we assess the case and get back to you with clear guidance on the possible steps.