Online Scam Investigations
Scam technology has become more and more sophisticated, even as public vigilance grows. The ACCC reported that Australians lost $3.1 billion to scammers in 2023, with scams taking many new and evolved forms.
Comprehensive Online Scam Investigation & Funds Recovery Services
We provide expert investigation and legal services across a wide range of online scam-related matters, including investment scams, product and service scams, extortion scams, job and employment scams, unexpected money scams, and impersonation scams.
Types of scams
- Investment scams
- Product and service scams
- Romance scams
- Extortion scams
- Jobs and employment scams
- Unexpected money scams
- Impersonation scams
Support for Scam Victims
Duxton Hill is the only multidisciplinary firm in Australia with a specialised team of lawyers and scam investigators dedicated to assisting victims of scams.
We have a proven track record in recovering losses for scam victims.
If you believe you are a victim of a scam, we recommend you seek assistance immediately. In many instances, we have recovered losses for scam victims even if many months have passed since the funds were transferred.
Once we are engaged, we perform an initial review of the facts and then determine the avenues available to secure the best prospects of recovering your losses.
While we cannot guarantee that we can recover your losses, we can guarantee that if we can’t no one can. Beware of investigators or asset recovery firms that guarantee funds recovery – often those businesses are scammers themselves.
Regrettably, most scam victims instinctively report their losses to the police, Scamwatch, or their bank, hoping for assistance in getting their money back. Unfortunately, this is a mistake. Often, once money is withdrawn from accounts, banks seldom accept responsibility, and it is not the job of the police to recover for victims.
We encourage exercising caution if transferring funds to unknown accounts or via cryptocurrency, which can be especially high risk and difficult to trace.
FAQ
What is an Online Scam Investigation?
An online scam investigation is the process of evidence gathering, tracing, and analysis of suspicious transactions and communications. We understand the distress victims face when first encountering a scam and so we aim to act quickly to protect victims from further loss and/or hold those responsible to account.
What Should I Do if I Suspect I’ve Been Scammed Online?
If you suspect are a victim of an online scam:
- cease any communication with the suspected scammer;
- report/dispute any transactions subject to the scam to the bank or financial institution;
- change passwords to accounts that have been subject to the scam and replace identification documents such as driver’s licences if such documents were provided and;
- seek legal assistance urgently.
If you are seeking to recover lost monies, we recommend you obtain legal advice from a law firm experienced in dealing with funds recovery for scam victims.
Can Your Firm Handle Cryptocurrency Scams?
Duxton Hill’s experience with scams across all sectors includes assisting victims of cryptocurrency scams. Over the last couple of years, we have seen a rise in cryptocurrency scams where people who are eager to invest in cryptocurrency become targets for scammers. Our knowledge in digital currency, recovering monies and asset tracing ensures our clients receive comprehensive legal assistance and have the best chance of recovering their losses.
What Legal Actions Can Be Taken Against Online Scammers?
Victims of online scams can pursue legal action against scammers through the criminal and civil route. A report can be filed with law enforcement authorities such as state Police if victims are looking to hold perpetrators to account. Victims may also commence civil litigation and/or seek freezing or search orders if they are looking to recover funds.
For the best results, it is desirable to exhaust civil asset recovery first and then, if you choose, to report the matter to law enforcement. It is not the job of the police to recover funds lost by scam victims, but civil action can produce positive results.
What Kind of Scams Do You Investigate?
We investigate a range of workplace-related scams, which include the following:
Types of scams
- Investment scams
- Product and service scams
- Romance scams
- Extortion scams
- Jobs and employment scams
- Unexpected money scams
- Impersonation scams
If you’re concerned about falling victim to a scam, be mindful of the different avenues scammers may take to reach you.
Ways scammers reach you
- Text or SMS scams – messages that look like they are from the government, businesses you deal with, or even your own family or friends to try to catch you out.
- Phone scam calls – Phone calls from people purporting to be from government bodies or other entities in an attempt to extract personal information.
- Email scams – Emails proposing to be legitimate organisations with logos and email addresses similar to that of real organisations.
- Social media scams – Social media accounts impersonating celebrities, a friend or even family member advertising goods or services, wanting to win your trust or even asking for funds.
- Website scams – Website look-alikes that many mistaken to be legitimate product/service providers e.g. banks.
- In-person scams – People approaching residential properties proposing to sell products/services or even acting as charities asking for donations.
