40 Recovery Topics — Bento Guide Library

Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base, and Arbitrum power smart-contract fraud—malicious approvals, drainers, and fake tokens. We trace swaps, LP routes, and stablecoin exits.

Contract deployer wallets often link multiple victim campaigns, strengthening exchange narratives.

• Smart contract interaction logs
• Drainer and approval exploits
• DEX routing analysis
• Cross-chain bridge follow-up

USDT, USDC, DAI, and BUSD are the settlement layer for most scams. Tron-based USDT fraud is especially common due to low fees—we trace per chain.

Issuers and exchanges maintain AML programs; credible reports can freeze deposits before fiat cash-out.

• Multi-chain USDT tracing
• Tron, Ethereum, Solana paths
• Exchange alert workflows
• OTC and desk exits

Losses in Solana, XRP, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and memecoins follow the same principles: follow value to regulated touchpoints quickly.

Rug pulls and fake listing scams require capturing contract addresses and liquidity events before pools are drained.

• Solana and EVM alt paths
• Rug pull liquidity analysis
• CEX deposit identification
• Token contract forensics

DeFi scams use liquidity pools, fake yield farms, and honeypot tokens. Investigators map deployer funding, LP removals, and team wallet clusters.

Time-sensitive alerts to exchanges holding consolidated scam proceeds improve recoverability.

• Liquidity pool events
• Deployer wallet clustering
• Honeypot contract analysis
• Aggregator swap tracing

Phishing sites and malicious links drain wallets via forged signatures or unlimited approvals. Revoke approvals on a clean device after documenting TXIDs.

We trace outgoing assets and identify exchange deposits for freeze requests.

• Approval revocation guidance
• Phishing URL preservation
• Drainer contract ID capture
• Post-drain tracing

Most recoveries hinge on centralized exchange cooperation. We prepare packages exchanges accept: timelines, graphs, victim statements, and hash linkage.

We do not hack exchanges—we work through compliance and legal channels globally.

• CEX fraud desk liaison
• Urgent freeze requests
• Subpoena-ready reports
• Multi-exchange coordination

Scammers use bridges and fake bridge UIs to move stolen funds across chains. Both sides of bridge events are captured for end-to-end tracing.

Layer-2 exits to mainnet create additional traceable checkpoints.

• Bridge TX both sides
• Fake UI domain evidence
• L2 to L1 mapping
• Wrapped asset tracking

Ransomware demands often settle in Bitcoin or Monero. When victims choose to trace payments, public BTC trails may still reach exchanges—privacy coins are harder but not always hopeless at regulated exits.

Preserve ransom notes, wallet addresses, timestamps, and any decryptor correspondence for investigators and law enforcement.

• Ransom wallet documentation
• BTC exit tracing
• Law enforcement coordination
• No double-payment to fake decryptors

Compromised MetaMask, Ledger, and Trezor setups—via phishing, fake firmware, or malware—require tracing outgoing theft, not seed recovery alone when fraud induced transfers.

Revoke token approvals on a clean device; never enter seed phrases into sites strangers provide.

• Approval revocation steps
• Phishing site URL capture
• Outgoing TX tracing
• Device malware screening

Cloud mining and fake staking dashboards show impossible daily returns until withdrawal fees are demanded. Export login URLs, deposit addresses, and referral trees before sites vanish.

Mining pool addresses often link to exchange deposits suitable for freeze requests when timed correctly.

• Platform URL preservation
• Deposit address tracing
• Referral network mapping
• Withdrawal fee scam patterns

Fake support, flipping scams, and romance pivots through Cash App are common. Include in-app notes, $Cashtags, and Bitcoin purchase receipts if crypto followed.

Parallel bank disputes help when debit cards funded transfers.

• Cash App fraud disputes
• BTC-in-app tracing
• Support impersonation docs
• Card chargeback pairing

PayPal cases vary by goods, services, friends-and-family, and card funding. Misrepresentation arguments apply when labeling was induced by deception.

Business accounts face vendor impersonation and refund fraud—treasury controls matter.

• PayPal claim escalation
• F&F vs goods analysis
• Card-funded chargebacks
• Business account fraud

Banks often deny Zelle as authorized—articulate imposter typology: fake landlord, boss, bank agent, or government official.

Structured appeals with chronology outperform one-line scam complaints.

• Imposter category framing
• Bank escalation paths
• Reg E timelines
• QR and listing evidence

Venmo overpayment, fake buyer, and business-profile impersonation scams need profile links and transaction notes preserved.

Set privacy to friends-only after incidents to limit further targeting.

• Overpayment scam docs
• Business profile fraud
• Privacy hardening
• Purchase protection angles

Wires and ACH fraud includes BEC, real estate redirection, and payroll diversion. Preserve SWIFT references, headers, and callback verification failures.

Hybrid Zelle-to-wire paths need one master timeline across rails.

• SWIFT and wire confirmations
• Email header forensics
• ACH recall requests
• BEC documentation

When apps drew from cards, issuing bank chargebacks remain powerful. Reason codes must match network rules and funding source.

We coordinate app disputes and card chargebacks in parallel.

• Visa/Mastercard reason codes
• Debit Reg E pairing
• Prepaid limitation review
• Issuer escalation

APP fraud tricks victims into authorizing payments. Deception-induced authorization may still qualify under evolving bank and app policies.

Document who the payee claimed to be versus reality and urgency tactics used.

• Deception narratives
• Policy citation in appeals
• Multi-channel filing
• Ombudsman escalation

Real estate wire fraud redirects closing funds via spoofed title or agent email. Minutes matter—notify your bank, agent, and counsel immediately with wire confirmations and email headers.

Hybrid cases may combine BEC with personal Zelle or wire transfers—we build one master timeline.

• SWIFT and wire recall attempts
• BEC header forensics
• Title company verification
• Dual-rail tracing

Subscription traps hide in trial offers, fake antivirus renewals, and romance-site upsells. Document signup pages, cancellation attempts, and bank descriptors showing merchant names.

PayPal and card recurring billing disputes differ—identify funding source and dispute windows early.

• Signup page screenshots
• Cancellation proof
• Descriptor matching
• Card and PayPal disputes