Cryptocurrencies are in the media every day – and scammers are exploiting this interest. Anyone who falls for a fake trading platform or a Romance Scam Those who have fallen victim to this scam often believe their money is irretrievably lost. This is not always the case. Whether and how much can be recovered depends heavily on the individual circumstances – but above all on how quickly the right steps are taken. Rogert & Ulbrich advises those affected by this scam. Crypto fraud and provides support in the legal enforcement of claims for reimbursement.

What is cryptocurrency fraud? Legal classification

Crypto fraud refers to any form of deception in which cryptocurrencies are used either as bait or as a means of payment. The spectrum ranges from fake trading platforms and fictitious coins to pyramid schemes and manipulated wallets. German law does not recognize a specific criminal offense of "crypto fraud." Legally, in most cases, it is considered classic fraud under Section 263 of the German Criminal Code (StGB): deliberate deception that creates an error in the victim and leads to financial loss. Depending on the specific circumstances, other charges may include computer fraud under Section 263a StGB, investment fraud under Section 264a StGB, or money laundering.

This classification is important for those affected: it means that criminal prosecution is possible – and that civil claims for damages exist. The chances of success depend on where the perpetrators are located, which platform the payment was processed through, and whether regulated cryptocurrency exchanges were involved in the transaction. A general assessment is not possible. Anyone who acts rashly and without legal advice risks hindering later investigations or harming themselves.

An overview of the most common scams

The perpetrators' methods are varied and professional. Some scams are particularly common in practice:

• Pig Butchering (Romance Scam): Perpetrators build an emotional relationship over weeks or months – via dating apps, WhatsApp, or Instagram. The contact appears random. Once sufficient trust has been established, the victim is led to a fake trading platform. Initially, small profits are displayed, and even initial withdrawals are possible. Then the pressure to make ever-larger deposits increases – until all the capital is lost.
• Fake investment platforms: Professionally designed websites with genuine SSL certificates, fake regulatory information, and deceptively realistic dashboards simulate legitimate crypto brokers. Deposited funds go directly to the perpetrators. As soon as a withdrawal is requested, suddenly "taxes," "compliance fees," or "unlock amounts" are demanded—a classic advance-fee scam. Those who pay lose more.
• Pump & Dump: Organizers acquire a worthless token and drive up its price through coordinated advertising campaigns. Telegram, They artificially inflate the price of X or YouTube and then sell off the stock suddenly. The price collapses, leaving unsuspecting investors stuck with worthless tokens.
• Rug Pull: Developers of a seemingly innovative DeFi or NFT project suddenly withdraw all liquidity from the smart contract or exploit hidden administrative privileges. The project disappears overnight, and social media channels are deleted.
• Phishing and fake wallets: Fake emails, text messages, and websites imitate well-known platforms like Coinbase, Binance, or MetaMask. Victims are tricked into entering their login credentials or seed phrase. The wallet is emptied in seconds.
• Impersonation and celebrity fraud: Perpetrators create deceptively realistic copies of social media profiles of well-known personalities and promise returns or repayments in exchange for cryptocurrency transfers. Even authorities like BaFin are impersonated – for example, through forged letters designed to exert pressure.

All these scams have one thing in common: the perpetrators work professionally, operate internationally, and use money laundering structures to conceal the flow of funds. Anyone who feels pressured to deposit more money or is asked to pay a "fee" to unlock a withdrawal should immediately stop all further transactions and break off contact.

Immediate action: What is crucial after a fraud case

The first hours and days after a cryptocurrency scam are often crucial for subsequent legal action. The sooner action is taken, the greater the chance of tracing the flow of funds.

What should be done immediately:

• No further payments – regardless of the pretext. Even if pressure is exerted or consequences are threatened: Every further transfer is lost.
• Break off contact – immediately sever all communication channels with the perpetrators.
• Secure evidence – take screenshots of chats, the platform, account balances, and all transactions. Record all contact information: phone numbers, email addresses, names used, AnyDesk or TeamViewer IDs.
• Record blockchain data – the wallet address(es) to which crypto was transferred, as well as the transaction IDs. This information is essential for forensic investigation.
• Be prepared for further contact attempts – many victims are approached again after the first scam, supposedly by "investigators," "recovery specialists," or "recovery companies." This is almost always another attempted scam.

Save all evidence before taking any further steps. Once deleted, it is usually impossible to fully recover it.

Criminal charges and blockchain forensics – why the two belong together

Filing a criminal complaint is advisable – but it's rarely enough on its own. Those who go to the police without legal representation often find that the authorities are overwhelmed and their own blockchain forensics resources are limited. Without forensically prepared transaction evidence, it often takes months or years before investigators can actually trace the flow of money. By then, wallets have long since been emptied and perpetrators have disappeared.

Blockchain forensics closes this gap. Cryptocurrencies are not anonymous – they are pseudonymized. Every transaction is permanently and publicly recorded on the blockchain. Specialized forensic experts can trace the flow of funds seamlessly: from the victim's initial deposit through intermediate wallets to centralized exchanges like Binance, Kraken, or OKX. The result is a detailed forensic report with a graphical representation of the entire flow of funds. This report enables law enforcement agencies to act swiftly – to lock wallets and freeze assets – without having to spend months conducting their own analysis.

There are other reasons to file a criminal complaint: Only those officially registered as victims can benefit from the potential return of seized funds. If your own account details have been misused for illegal transactions, filing a complaint early protects you from being suspected of money laundering yourself. Furthermore, any resulting damages may be tax-deductible.

Our law firm files professionally prepared criminal charges based on forensic reports and coordinates communication with law enforcement agencies.

Besides criminal law, civil law offers further avenues. Claims against the perpetrators themselves generally exist under Section 823 Paragraph 2 of the German Civil Code (BGB) in conjunction with Section 263 of the German Criminal Code (StGB), as well as under Section 826 of the German Civil Code (BGB) (intentional immoral harm). The practical problem is well-known: the perpetrators are often untraceable, reside abroad, or operate anonymously behind shell companies.

Therefore, the focus is increasingly shifting to other parties involved in the transaction process:

• Cryptocurrency exchanges: If funds were transferred via regulated exchanges, individuals have a right to information. In certain cases, freezing requests can be filed. Exchanges often do not respond to direct inquiries from private individuals, but they do respond to letters from lawyers.
• Banks and payment service providers: If payments were processed via traditional bank transfers or payment service providers such as PayPal, it must be examined whether these providers violated their regulatory due diligence obligations. In certain circumstances, claims for damages may be considered.
• Credit institutions: In some cases, courts have held banks liable when demonstrably fraudulent transactions were not stopped in time.

Making a blanket statement about success is neither reliable nor possible. The chances depend on the specific circumstances of each individual case: the amount of damage, the payment method used, the location of the platform involved, and the response time after the fraud. Crucially, an early and coordinated approach is essential: forensic investigations, filing criminal charges, and civil proceedings are all interconnected. With each passing week, the trail becomes less clear.

Rogert & Ulbrich examines all civil claims on a case-by-case basis – against perpetrators, stock exchanges, payment service providers and credit institutions.

When is it worth hiring a lawyer in cases of crypto fraud?

In cases of cryptocurrency fraud, legal support is advisable in almost all instances. The complexity of the issue lies in the intersection of criminal law, civil law, international jurisdictions, and blockchain technology. Those who proceed alone risk destroying evidence, missing deadlines, or exposing themselves to criminal prosecution – for example, if their own account details have been used for suspicious transactions.

Legal counsel is particularly important if damages of several thousand euros or more have occurred, if cryptocurrency exchanges or payment service providers were involved in the transaction process, if one's own name or account details were used for suspicious transfers, or if a criminal complaint is to be filed in coordination with forensic measures.

Check whether your legal expenses insurance covers the lawyer's fees. Many policies cover proceedings in the area of cybercrime or Investment fraud From now on – it's always worth contacting your insurer early.

Conclusion: Act quickly, remain realistic

Crypto fraud is a multi-billion dollar, professionally organized crime – but it's not a lawless space. Perpetrators are increasingly being identified and prosecuted. Those who act quickly, secure evidence, and involve the right specialists have realistic chances of recovery in many cases – but there are no guarantees.

Be wary of anyone who makes unrealistic promises. Anyone who promises guaranteed repayment or only works on a contingency fee basis, which they secretly collect using dubious methods, is deceiving you a second time. Reputable legal counsel operates transparently and without guarantees of success.

If you have become a victim of crypto fraud, you should act now. Get in touch and secure your claims.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions about Crypto Fraud

Der Beitrag Kryptobetrug – Geld zurückfordern: Was Betroffene jetzt wissen müssen erschien zuerst auf R&U.

What is pig butchering – and why is the term so unusual?

The term “Pig Butchering“This describes a specific form of investment fraud in which perpetrators systematically build up their victims' confidence over weeks or months before striking. The name derives from the practice of fattening a pig before slaughter – an image for the perpetrators' systematic approach, who initially lull their victims into a false sense of security before siphoning off their accumulated savings.”.

Contact is usually established via dating apps, social networks, or seemingly misdirected WhatsApp messages. The perpetrators build a relationship of trust over several weeks before bringing up the topic of cryptocurrency investments. They present fake trading platforms that appear professional and initially even show small profits – to entice the victim to deposit further sums. Once a sufficiently large amount has been deposited, the platform disappears – and with it, the money. These operations are often the work of internationally organized networks that seek out their victims worldwide.

If you have transferred funds to an investment platform and now no longer have access, you should seek legal advice immediately.

DOJ and Tether: The investigative success of February 2026

On February 25, 2026, Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had recognized its cooperation in a seizure operation. Investigators from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Raleigh, North Carolina, had begun tracing stolen funds through multiple cryptocurrency wallets following a victim's report. The result: nearly $61 million in USDT was recovered. The funds originated from a pig butchering operation that had defrauded victims in several countries.

The speed of the seizure was only possible because Tether cooperated with authorities in real time and was able to freeze affected wallets. According to Tether, it has frozen approximately $4.2 billion in assets linked to illegal activities to date. The company works with over 310 law enforcement agencies in more than 64 countries.

The current case is not an isolated incident. In June 2025, Tether, together with OKX, enabled the DOJ to initiate civil proceedings against approximately $225 million in USDT from pig butchering fraud. In November 2025, the company assisted the Royal Thai Police and the U.S. Secret Service in securing $12 million from a transnational fraud network. In March 2025, $23 million in USDT linked to the Russian exchange Garantex was frozen. The list of documented cases is growing.

This case demonstrates that crypto fraud leaves traces – even when perpetrators use multiple wallets. Act early to prevent these traces from going cold.

How does pig butchering work in practice?

The typical pig butchering scam follows a clearly recognizable pattern. Victims often describe similar experiences:

• Initial contact: Seemingly random contact via a dating app, LinkedIn, or a misaddressed message. The perpetrator presents themselves as a friendly person.
• Building trust: Weeks or months of communication, often daily. The perpetrators invest considerable time in establishing a personal relationship.
• Investment tip: A seemingly random reference to a crypto trading platform. The victim is invited to initially invest small amounts.
• Fake winnings: The fraudulent platform displays attractive winnings. The victim deposits more money, recommends the platform to others, or even takes out loans.
• Scam: When attempting to withdraw winnings, "taxes" or "fees" suddenly appear. Eventually, the platform becomes inaccessible.

Victims lose considerable sums on average – in many documented cases between €10,000 and several hundred thousand euros. The psychological effect of building trust over a long period leads many victims to continue paying in even after the first warning signs.

If you recognize this pattern – whether as an affected person or for a close relative – have the situation legally assessed.

Legal options for affected individuals in Germany

In Germany, the loss of funds through pig butchering constitutes the criminal offense of fraud under Section 263 of the Criminal Code. Victims generally have the option of filing a criminal complaint and asserting civil claims for damages.

In practice, several approaches are relevant. Filing a criminal complaint allows for the involvement of the public prosecutor's office and cooperation with international authorities. Civil lawsuits are directed against identifiable individuals or companies that were involved with the platform—for example, payment service providers that knowingly forwarded funds. Forensic blockchain analysis often allows the whereabouts of cryptocurrencies to be traced far back; these findings can be used in court proceedings. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has specialized units for cybercrime; in cross-border cases, Europol must also be involved.

Important: The chances of success depend heavily on how quickly action is taken after the fraud. The more recent the transaction data, the sooner wallet addresses can be traced and funds blocked. Those who initially act independently and make mistakes can complicate their legal position.

Have your case reviewed before taking any action on your own – incorrect steps can make later legal action more difficult.

When is it worth hiring a lawyer in a pig butchering fraud case?

Pig butchering is a cross-border phenomenon. Perpetrators often operate from countries with which no or only limited mutual legal assistance agreements exist. Purely criminal law approaches therefore often reach their limits.

A lawyer experienced in cryptocurrency fraud can provide a realistic assessment of which civil legal steps are likely to be successful. This includes examining whether intermediary institutions – such as banks or payment service providers – can be held liable for the transfer of funds. The question of whether the fraudulent platform was promoted by third parties can also be legally relevant.

Many victims also have legal expenses insurance that can cover losses due to fraud. It's worthwhile having the policy terms reviewed before retaining legal counsel.

Contact us if you have been harmed by pig butchering. An initial assessment will show whether and what steps are advisable.

Conclusion

The seizure of nearly $61 million by the DOJ and Tether demonstrates that pig butchering fraud cannot permanently conceal stolen funds. Blockchain transparency and international cooperation between authorities and crypto companies make tracing possible – even across multiple wallets.

For those affected in Germany, the situation remains complex. The path from identifying fraudulent wallets to actually recovering funds is long and fraught with legal and practical hurdles. Early action, documented evidence, and qualified legal support are crucial.

Further information on cryptocurrency fraud and the legal options for victims can be found here. here.

Rogert & Ulbrich – Your lawyers in crypto fraud

Dr. Marco Rogert and Tobias Ulbrich are lawyers with experience in cases of cryptocurrency fraud and online fraud. The law firm Rogert & Ulbrich has handled numerous cases in this area and has a broad network of technical experts and forensic specialists in blockchain analysis.

The law firm represents clients both out of court and in court. Its services include the legal assessment of fraud damages, coordination with law enforcement agencies, and the examination of civil claims against third parties involved in the transaction.

Have you been a victim of pig butchering or a similar scam? Get in touch and secure your claims.

Der Beitrag Pig Butchering Betrug – US-Behörden stellen 61 Millionen Dollar in USDT sicher erschien zuerst auf R&U.