Types of Online Scams We Investigate | Restitution Group
Fraud Specializations

Types of Online Scams We Investigate

Online financial fraud comes in diverse patterns. Restitution Group provides tailored forensic methodologies to gather evidence for victims across four primary scam sectors.

βš–οΈ Investigation Scope Notice

Restitution Group is a private investigation agency focused on forensic discovery and evidence gathering. The company never guarantees the successful recovery of victims' lost funds in a scam. All evidence dossiers are constructed for use in official legal proceedings and law enforcement referrals.

VECTOR 4.1 // TRADING & SECURITIES

Investment Fraud & Fake Brokerages

Perpetrators construct sophisticated clone websites of regulated brokerages or invent fictitious trading platforms promising guaranteed daily returns on stocks, commodities, or forex.

When victims attempt to withdraw capital, the platform manufactures false "tax clearance" fees or "margin maintenance" demands, freezing all accounts.

🚩 Common Scam Indicators
  • β€’ Unsolicited investment invitations via WhatsApp, Telegram, or LinkedIn
  • β€’ Fabricated trading dashboards showing non-existent astronomical profits
  • β€’ Demands for upfront "tax payments" or "compliance deposits" before withdrawals
  • β€’ Absence of regulatory licenses from SEC, CFTC, FCA, or ASIC
Forensic Approach: Payment processor subpoena prep, domain registrant unmasking, corporate shell tracking.
VECTOR 4.2 // BLOCKCHAIN FRAUD

Crypto Investment Scams ("Pig Butchering")

Known globally as Sha Zhu Pan, these organized cybercrime operations groom victims over weeks before directing them to deposit Tether (USDT), Bitcoin (BTC), or Ethereum (ETH) into fraudulent decentralized protocols.

Once deposited, smart contract permissions drain the victim's wallet or transfer the digital assets through complex mixer and peel-chain paths.

🚩 Common Scam Indicators
  • β€’ Recommendations to move funds to decentralized Web3 dApps or custom APKs
  • β€’ Malicious smart contract approval requests ("Approve Unlimited USDT")
  • β€’ Requests to buy crypto on regulated exchanges then immediately transfer to external hashes
  • β€’ Liquidity mining schemes offering 2-5% daily compounding yields
Forensic Approach: Enterprise blockchain clustering, mixer analysis, VASP deposit identification for court freezes.
VECTOR 4.3 // SOCIAL ENGINEERING

Romance Scam & Confidence Fraud

Scammers cultivate intense emotional relationships on dating applications, Facebook, or Instagram using stolen identities and professional model photographs.

Once trust is solidified, the scammer invents sudden financial crises (medical emergencies, customs duties, frozen offshore accounts) requiring urgent wire or gift card payments.

🚩 Common Scam Indicators
  • β€’ Excuses to avoid video calls or in-person meetings (overseas military, oil rig worker)
  • β€’ Swift declarations of love and requests to move communication to encrypted apps
  • β€’ Emergence of sudden financial emergencies requiring third-party account transfers
  • β€’ Use of domestic "friends" or money mules to collect payments
Forensic Approach: Reverse image & biometric matching, phone carrier OSINT, money mule bank account unmasking.
VECTOR 4.4 // BANKING COMPROMISE

Wire Fraud & Business Email Compromise (BEC)

Cybercriminals compromise corporate or executive email accounts, monitor vendor invoice conversations, and inject fraudulent bank routing numbers at the crucial moment of closing or invoice settlement.

Victims transfer funds to what appears to be a legitimate escrow or supplier, only to find the payment intercepted by an offshore mule syndicate.

🚩 Common Scam Indicators
  • β€’ Last-minute change of bank routing details before a real estate closing or vendor payment
  • β€’ Look-alike email domains with subtle character misspellings (@company-pay.com)
  • β€’ Pressure for immediate wire transfer without telephone verification
  • β€’ Beneficiary account name differing slightly from the vendor's legal corporate entity
Forensic Approach: Email header forensic decoding, SWIFT MT103 intermediary routing tracing, emergency bank recall dossier.

Been Defrauded in One of These Schemes?

Do not confront the scammer or delete correspondence. Prompt evidence preservation is vital to compiling a credible dossier for your legal team.

Request Confidential Case Review