Financial Investigations

Financial investigation, cybersecurity and international asset tracing

Our work focuses on analysing possible financial fraud, reconstructing capital flows and examining crypto-asset transactions. It is based on documentary evidence, blockchain analysis tools and international regulatory references.

Institutional and regulatory framework

  1. 1

    Banca Centrale Europea (BCE) — European Central Bank

    The ECB is a European institutional reference for banking supervision, financial stability and the operational resilience of the financial sector within its remit.

    Official website
  2. 2

    FCA — Financial Conduct Authority

    UK supervisory authority for financial services, responsible for the conduct of regulated firms and the protection of financial consumers in the United Kingdom.

    Official website
  3. 3

    FINMA — Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority

    Swiss authority responsible for supervising financial markets, authorising intermediaries within its remit and enforcing Swiss financial-market law.

    Official website
  4. 4

    FINRA — Financial Industry Regulatory Authority

    US self-regulatory organisation for the broker-dealer industry, overseeing firms' compliance and protecting investors within its scope.

    Official website
  5. 5

    ESMA — European Securities and Markets Authority

    European authority that promotes supervisory convergence on financial markets and contributes to developing and applying the EU framework for markets and crypto-assets.

    Official website
  6. 6

    AMF — Autorité des marchés financiers

    French financial-markets authority, responsible for investor protection, the transparency of financial information and the supervision of markets and firms within its remit.

    Official website
  7. 7

    CSSF — Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier

    Luxembourg supervisory authority for the financial sector, relevant for institutions and intermediaries subject to Luxembourg law.

    Official website
  8. 8

    CONSOB — Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa

    Italian authority supervising financial markets and protecting investors, competent for breaches and reports within its remit.

    Official website
  9. 9

    SEC — Securities and Exchange Commission

    US federal authority supervising securities markets and enforcing federal securities laws, including fraud within its jurisdiction.

    Official website
  10. 10

    Europol — European Cybercrime Centre (EC3)

    European centre supporting cooperation between national law-enforcement authorities against cybercrime, digital fraud and cross-border crime.

    Official website
  11. 11

    Polizia Postale e per la Sicurezza Cibernetica

    Italian operational reference for complaints and investigations concerning online fraud, cybercrime and scams committed through digital means.

    Official website
  12. 12

    Competent national authorities

    Depending on the country and the nature of the case, the judicial police, public prosecutors, financial intelligence units and national supervisory bodies may be involved.

Most of these bodies publish warning lists of unauthorised firms. Checking them is free and is often the first useful step.

Blockchain analysis and asset tracing

  1. 13

    Etherscan and blockchain explorers

    Blockchain explorers make it possible to consult publicly recorded transactions, verify hashes, examine addresses and reconstruct the movements of digital assets on the supported networks.

  2. 14

    Exchanges and crypto-asset intermediaries

    Trading platforms may provide information on accounts and transactions through the procedures provided by law, when the conditions are met. Any direct cooperation must be documented.

Technical blockchain tracing

We use public multi-chain explorers — Etherscan, BscScan, TronScan, Solscan and Blockchain.com — for the on-chain analysis of capital flows. Results are delivered to the client and, through the appropriate legal channels, may support the work of the competent authorities.

Technical analysis procedure

  1. 1

    Collection of the information and documentation provided by the client.

  2. 2

    Verification of hashes and public addresses on the relevant blockchains.

  3. 3

    Reconstruction of transfers and analysis of flows between addresses.

  4. 4

    Examination of possible links to identifiable intermediaries or services.

  5. 5

    Preparation of a technical report with evidence, findings and the limits of the analysis.

  6. 6

    Where appropriate, transmission of the information to authorities or intermediaries through the proper legal channels.

European regulatory framework

  • (EU) 2022/2554

    DORA Regulation

    Governs the digital operational resilience of the financial sector and sets requirements for ICT risk management, cyber incidents and operational resilience.

    EUR-Lex
  • (EU) 2023/1114

    MiCA Regulation

    Defines the European framework for certain crypto-assets and related service providers, with requirements on authorisation, transparency and client protection.

    EUR-Lex
  • (EU) 2022/2555

    NIS2 Directive

    Sets out measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the European Union, including risk management and incident reporting for the entities it covers.

    EUR-Lex

Transparency and client protection

Blockchain analysis makes it possible to reconstruct recorded movements, but it does not always allow the beneficial owner of an address to be identified, nor does it guarantee the recovery of funds. Freezing, seizure or return of assets depends on the circumstances of the case and the applicable procedures.

The authorities and bodies listed above are presented as institutional and regulatory references. Any official investigation, direct cooperation, authorisation or accreditation must be confirmed by verifiable documentation.

What to prepare for a first review

  • A short chronology of events
  • Bank statements and transfer confirmations
  • Transaction hashes and wallet addresses
  • Website addresses, usernames and screenshots of the platform
  • Correspondence: emails, chats, call records

Tell us what happened

Send a short description. We review it and reply with an initial assessment of the possible next steps. An initial review does not create an obligation.

Request a consultation