Revealed: Singapore's Most Effective Crypto Scam Recovery - SrijibDutta/srijiblog GitHub Wiki

With individuals and businesses increasingly turning to blockchain transactions. The ability to investigate any wrong on both the public and private blockchains has never been more critical. What can investors do when they fall victim to a crypto fraud?

Are there any forms of legal recourse for those who have lost money to cryptocurrency scams involving cryptocurrency investment and other digital asset transactions? Can we make use of forensic tools or cryptocurrency algorithms to trace and track stolen or lost cryptocurrencies?

Join us as we discuss the various types of cryptocurrency fraud, how Singaporean's can recover their stolen and lost crypto from scammers, how Singapore's courts deal with such cases, and some of the ways that companies and individuals trace, freeze and recover their stolen digital assets.

We will also explore how the latest blockchain forensic tools are being used to analyze, identify and prevent cryptocurrency crimes.

Steps to take as a victim of crypto scam victim in Singapore

A lot of people are falling victim to classic frauds updated for the Web3 age: crypto investment schemes promoted by fake influencers or pig butchering/romance scammers looking to dip into your crypto wallet or crypto scammers impersonating, crypto exchanges/financial institutions, offering investment opportunities.

Other new types of hacks, thefts or fraud are focusing on the continued rise of decentralized finance, in which criminals try to exploit a decentralized system, blockchain or smart contact.

While the inherent transparency of crypto transactions does help in tracking your lost coin – to a degree – the patchwork of regulations governing the space and the lack of expertise for this kind of financial fraud are some of the factors that make it hard to recover stolen cryptocurrency.

People may need to turn to a reputable investigator who will work with law enforcement agencies and who will attempt – but never guarantee – to recover stolen funds.

On the flip side, always remain vigilant for “scammer†investigators purporting to recover funds, especially ifthey ask for up-front fees. But if you’ve fallen victim to a crypto scam, here are four key steps you should take:

1. Transaction IDs

Before investigators can begin tracing your assets, they will need all the transaction IDs identifying the funds you sent to the scammers. These transaction IDs will allow investigators to “follow the money†and see exactly where yourcoins are moving. While it is still possible to investigate without transaction IDs, knowing these will expedite any investigation and reduce potential complications.

What is a transaction ID?

On most blockchains, a transaction ID, or TXID, is a unique string of letters and numbers that represent a record of the movement of cryptocurrency from one address to another. This can sometimes be referred to as the transaction hash. This hash identifies the date/time, sending addresses, receiving addresses, transaction amounts, fees and more. A Bitcoin transaction hash, for example, is displayed as a 65-digit-hexadecimal number.

Where to find TXID?

Using bitcoin as an example, start by locating the address you sent your bitcoin to and paste this into the search bar of any open-source blockchain explorer. This will display all incoming and outgoing transactions to and from that address. To locate your TXID, look for the date/time and the amount sent. If the date/time and amount received match with your transaction, then you can identify your TXID by locating the hash associated with the transaction.

Not all exchanges and wallets provide TXIDs for you. Depending on the exchange or wallet you are using, you may need to dig deeper into your transaction information to find the transaction ID. Since most blockchains are public, you should be able to find it yourself through any open-source blockchain explorer.

2. Share your experience

A clean and concise narrative of your incident will help give your case color, aiding in an investigator’s understanding of the flow of funds. Important information to include in your narrative would include:

all transaction IDs

where you sent your crypto from (private wallet, account at exchange X)

where you believed you were sending your funds (perpetrator’s private wallet, arbitrage account at XYZ)

screenshots of fraudulent interaction (fraudulent email/text, or Twitter post)

any additional details regarding the scam and scammers

3. Prove ownership of crypto

Law enforcement will usually require proof of ownership of the original source of funds. Ensure that you still have access to any accounts you initially used to send money to the scammers.

A reliable way to prove ownership of a wallet is by signing a specified message with your private key. It is also possible to send a micro transaction (a few Satoshi) to a predefined crypto-address.

4. Report to relevant authority

If you think you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, it is important to notify the applicable law enforcement or government agency. Reporting mechanisms for cybercrimes such as crypto scams may vary from country to country.

Best Crypto Scam Recovery Solution in Singapore

The process may be challenging, time consuming and may not always guarantee the recovery of the lost funds. Sometimes people are just not going to get their crypto back.

The U.S. Department of Justice in a June 2022 report highlighted some of these challenges: the speed and cross-border nature of digital asset transactions; differences in how various foreign law enforcement agencies classify digital assets, platforms and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).

The lack of specialized skills and expertise regarding digital assets; and the lack of access to effective blockchain analytics and cryptocurrency investigation tools. Nevertheless, lodging your complaint with your federal government will increase your chances of asset recovery if a larger investigation is ever opened against your scammer.

The probability of a successful asset recovery also depends on additional factors including the amount lost, obfuscation techniques used and whether the funds have moved to a regulated exchange, which makes it easier for a law enforcement agency to reveal the identity of the receiving address via a subpoena.

Report Scammed Bitcoin:(RSB) professional crypto scam recovery services can assist you with every aspect of the recovery, from investigation to helping law enforcement write their subpoenas to testifying in support of our analysis. For larger losses exceeding $1 million, you can send an email directly to - [email protected].

Facts About Crypto Scam Recovery Singapore

If you want to report an investment scam in Singapore, you can do so through the following steps:

1. File a Report with RSB: Report Scammed Bitcoin (RSB) investigates financial crimes (including investment scams) in Singapore and across the globe. You can file a report with RSB, providing them with details of the scam and any evidence you may have.

2. Contact the Police: Report the investment scam to the Singapore Police Force. You can do this by visiting your local police station in person or by filing an online police report through the official police website.

3. Use the Scam Alert Website: The government of Singapore has a Scam Alert website where you can report scams and get information on current scams. Visit the website and follow the instructions to report the investment scam.

Report Scammed Bitcoin (RSB) offers the best solution for recovery stolen assets. They carry out due diligence making use of the best blockchain technology tools and techniques for crypto assets recovery.