The balance grows — but the withdraw button never works.
Service
Investment fraud
Fake brokers, trading apps and ‘guaranteed return’ schemes — we document how the scheme worked and trace where your money went.
Overview
How investment fraud works.
Investment scams are built to look real: polished websites, live charts, account managers and a balance that grows every week. The problem appears only when you try to withdraw — and suddenly there are fees, taxes, verification steps or silence.
GFIR investigates how the scheme operated, who registered and hosted the platform, and where your deposits actually went. Many fake brokers are part of larger networks, and identifying those links can strengthen your case and help regulators act.
We document everything in a report suitable for regulators, police, your bank or your lawyer.
Signs you may need this
- Your balance keeps growing but withdrawals are blocked or delayed
- You're asked to pay fees, taxes or ‘unlock’ charges to withdraw
- Returns were guaranteed or unusually high and consistent
- An ‘account manager’ pressured you to deposit more
- The platform isn't registered with any financial regulator
Every deposit is traced to where it really went.
Fake dashboards are designed to keep you depositing.
How it works
Our approach, step by step.
- 01
Assess the platform
We check registration, regulatory status, domains and hosting to establish whether the platform is legitimate.
- 02
Trace your deposits
Card payments, bank transfers and crypto deposits are followed to where they actually went.
- 03
Find linked schemes
We look for shared infrastructure, payment processors and operators across related platforms.
- 04
Prepare your report
Findings are packaged for regulators, police, your bank or your lawyer.
Who it's for
- People who cannot withdraw from a trading platform
- Groups of victims of the same scheme
What's included
- 01Platform legitimacy assessment
- 02Deposit and withdrawal trail
- 03Linked-scheme identification
- 04Report for regulators and police
Realistic expectations
Funds already moved through multiple jurisdictions may be beyond practical reach.Before you contact us
What to prepare.
Don't worry if you don't have everything — send what you can and we'll guide you through the rest.
- ✓The platform's website or app name
- ✓Deposit receipts, bank statements and crypto transfers
- ✓Screenshots of your account balance and withdrawal attempts
- ✓Messages from any ‘account manager’ or support agent
- !Never share passwords, private keys or seed phrases — with anyone, including us.
Questions
About investment fraud
Should I pay the withdrawal fee they're asking for?+
No. Requests for fees or taxes before you can withdraw are a classic sign of fraud. Paying almost never releases your money.
The platform still shows my balance. Is my money there?+
Usually not. Balances on fake platforms are numbers on a screen; the real funds have typically been moved elsewhere.
Can you help if others were scammed by the same platform?+
Yes. Group cases can share evidence and costs, and often reveal more about the operators.
Will my bank refund me?+
It depends on the payment method, your bank and your country. Our report can support a dispute or chargeback claim.
Guides
Read before you act.
Why you should never pay a ‘withdrawal fee’
Guide · Investment fraud
How to check if a broker is regulated
Guide · Investment fraud
Related services
Cryptocurrency tracing
We follow stolen or misdirected digital assets across wallets, chains and bridges, and identify where funds reached exchanges or regulated services.
Online fraud investigation
Investment platforms, impersonation and payment fraud — we reconstruct what happened and who was behind each step.
Digital forensics
Forensically sound collection and analysis of phones, computers, email and cloud accounts, preserving evidence so it can be relied upon later.
Confidential case review
Confidential case review
Tell us what happened.
Your message is read by an investigator, not a sales team. We'll reply with an honest assessment of what can be done.
Have a question first? Read our FAQ →
Prefer email? info@gfirglobal.com