OSINT in fraud cases: Why false names no longer protect perpetrators

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False names, shell companies, and virtual addresses no longer mean that fraudsters remain undetected. Professional OSINT investigations combine publicly available information with blockchain forensics and technical analysis to uncover criminal networks. Learn how open source intelligence helps lawyers, businesses, and law enforcement agencies solve fraud cases.

Case report: forensic analysis, asset freeze, and a thwarted recovery scam

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This case report documents a real-life case involving forensic analysis, subsequent official seizure of approximately €35,000 on a cryptocurrency exchange, and a thwarted recovery scam attempt involving €5,800. It includes methodological guidance and lessons learned for lawyers, compliance officers, and defense attorneys handling similar cases.

Crypto mixers in the context of compliance and forensics: System types, legal developments and limits of investigation

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This article provides a systematic classification of crypto mixers for legal and compliance practice: operating principle, custodial and non-custodial mixers, zero-knowledge proofs for Tornado Cash, CoinJoin procedures, privacy coins, DeFi-based layering, recent legal developments regarding sanctions and operator prosecution, forensic investigation limits, and the role of centralized exchanges.

Case report on the crypto love scam: forensic investigation and asset recovery in the international scam network

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This article documents a real-life crypto love scam with a total loss of €184,000 and describes the forensic methodology used: transaction reconstruction, peel chain detection, cross-chain tracking between TRON, Ethereum and BNB Chain, AI-supported wallet clustering, and the International Preservation Request, which led to the recovery of €112,000 – with lessons learned for legal representation.