Help & reporting
Report an investment scam and document your case properly
Investment fraud is designed to look ordinary: professional branding, plausible paperwork and a responsive account manager. The clearest signal is not how the offer looks, but what happens when you try to withdraw.
What this kind of scam is
- You are invited to invest in shares, bonds, forex, commodities or a 'managed portfolio' via a firm that contacted you or advertised to you.
- Statements show steady growth, but the money is not held or traded as described.
- Withdrawal requests trigger delays, new charges or an offer to reinvest instead.
Common warning signs
- The firm approached you first, by phone, email, social media or an advertisement.
- Returns are presented as guaranteed, fixed, or safer than they realistically can be.
- You are told the opportunity closes soon, or asked not to discuss it with family or your bank.
- Payments go to a personal account, a third-party company or an overseas account with a different name.
- The firm's regulatory details cannot be verified independently, or clone details of a real firm are used.
- The account manager becomes evasive or aggressive when a withdrawal is requested.
Steps to consider now
- 1
Stop further payments
Do not send 'release', 'tax' or 'compliance' payments to unlock a balance.
- 2
Download all statements and contracts
Access is often withdrawn once you raise a dispute.
- 3
Contact your bank or card provider in writing
Ask about their fraud dispute process and any applicable chargeback or reimbursement route.
- 4
Check the firm's registration independently
Use the official regulator register in your own country — never a link the firm sent you.
- 5
Open a ScamGuide case
A structured case keeps the timeline, documents and correspondence together in one place.
Evidence worth preserving
- Screenshots of every conversation, including profile names, handles and the dates shown.
- Payment records: bank transfer confirmations, card statements, invoices or receipts.
- Cryptocurrency transaction hashes and the destination wallet addresses.
- The website address, app name and any download links you were sent.
- Emails with full headers where possible, plus any documents or contracts you received.
- A short written timeline of what happened and when, made while it is still fresh.
How ScamGuide works
- 1. You submit a structured report through a guided wizard — no legal or technical knowledge needed.
- 2. A private case is created with a reference number, timeline and secure evidence vault.
- 3. A case specialist reviews the details and communicates with you in an encrypted, private thread.
- 4. You explore the recovery and reporting options that realistically apply to your circumstances.
- 5. A sanitised, moderated summary may be published so other people can search it. You are never named.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on how you paid, how quickly it is raised and where the money went. ScamGuide helps you explore the realistic options rather than promise an outcome.
Ready to document what happened?
Reporting is free and takes a few minutes. You can search existing reports first — try a broker, firm or platform name.