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Practical legal guide

Crypto or investment scam involving a Czech company or platform: what to do now

You sent money to a trading or crypto platform that claims to be Czech, uses a Czech company or a Czech bank account, and now you cannot withdraw anything. The first hours matter most: your bank may be able to try to stop or recover the payments, and the Czech police need your evidence.

Describe your case

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Short answer

  1. Call your bank immediately
  2. Criminal complaint to the Czech police
  3. Secure all evidence
  4. Report the platform to the ČNB

Call your bank now to block access and try to recover payments, then report it to the police. Pay nothing more. Nobody can guarantee you get your money back.

Describe your case

Quick answers

Will I get my money back?
Nobody can guarantee it. Speed helps most: your bank may be able to try to recover payments. A Czech bank must refund payments you did not authorise; payments you made yourself are not covered by that rule.
What does it cost?
Calling the bank, the criminal complaint and the report to the ČNB cost you nothing but time. Proceedings before the Czech financial arbiter carry no fee. A lawyer always charges; agree the fee in advance.
Which deadlines matter?
With a Czech bank, report a payment you did not authorise without undue delay and at the latest within 13 months. Otherwise: the sooner you tell your bank and the police, the better the chance of catching anything.

When this situation arises

  • An online "broker" or crypto platform promised high returns and you paid in
  • The money went to a Czech bank account or a company registered in the Czech Republic
  • The platform shows profits but blocks withdrawals or asks for a "fee" or "tax" first
  • A "financial adviser" asked you to install remote-access software
  • The website or app disappeared and nobody answers

What options do you have

Call your bank immediately

The Czech police advise contacting your bank at once to prevent further losses and to try to save money already sent. The sooner, the better. Have your cards and online banking blocked.

Criminal complaint to the Czech police

A complaint can be filed at any police department or public prosecutor's office in the Czech Republic, orally at a court, or electronically with a recognised electronic signature or through a data box. You can also report the fraud to the police where you live.

Secure all evidence

Delete nothing. Save chats, e-mails, contracts, bank statements and screenshots of the fake website and app. Note phone numbers, web addresses, wallet addresses and the accounts the money went to.

Report the platform to the ČNB

The Czech National Bank accepts reports and publishes warnings about entities without authorisation. It has no power to decide private disputes; those belong to the Czech financial arbiter or a court.

Recommended step-by-step process

  1. 1.

    Call your bank

    Say it is fraud, block your payment tools and ask whether the payments can be stopped or recalled. For a card payment, ask which claim procedure your bank offers.

  2. 2.

    Stop all contact with the scammers

    Pay no further "fees", "taxes" or "insurance" to unlock a withdrawal. Remove remote-access apps and change your passwords.

  3. 3.

    Write down the timeline

    Who contacted you, when and how, every payment and recipient, and every website, phone number and wallet used.

  4. 4.

    File the criminal complaint

    With the Czech police if the company, account or people are in the Czech Republic, and with your local police. Bring or attach your evidence.

  5. 5.

    Report it and get advice

    Send a report to the ČNB through its web form. A Czech lawyer can assess whether a damages claim against the recipients is realistic.

What documents to prepare

  • Bank statements and confirmations of every payment and crypto transfer
  • Chats, e-mails, text messages and call recordings with the "adviser"
  • Screenshots of the website, the app and your "account" balance
  • Any contract, terms or documents the platform sent
  • The phone numbers, web addresses and wallet addresses the scammers used

Common mistakes

  • Waiting before calling the bank — every hour lowers the chance to catch the money
  • Paying a "fee to unblock the account" or a "tax before payout"
  • Deleting the app or the chats before saving the evidence
  • Forwarding money that a stranger sent to your account
  • Trusting a firm or "lawyer" who promises to recover the money for a fee

Risks and important deadlines

Payments you did not make

If your account is with a Czech bank and someone else made the payment, report it without undue delay and at the latest within 13 months. The bank must then refund it unless you acted fraudulently or with gross negligence; your own loss is capped at EUR 50.

Payments you made yourself

That refund rule covers unauthorised payments. If you sent the money yourself, the bank may try to recover it, but nobody can guarantee a refund.

Forwarding other people's money

The Czech police warn that forwarding money a stranger sent to your account can amount to money laundering, even through negligence.

Estimated costs

You can call your bank, file the criminal complaint and report the platform yourself. Proceedings before the Czech financial arbiter carry no fee, but they cover only providers within its remit. A lawyer always charges; agree the fee in advance.

When it's worth contacting a lawyer

A Czech lawyer can draft the criminal complaint, claim damages in the criminal proceedings, deal with a Czech bank about unauthorised payments and assess whether money can be pursued against the recipients or a platform in another country. On LawBridge you can find Czech lawyers by area of law and describe your situation in a request. Lawyers always charge for their work, and nobody can guarantee that you get your money back.

Describe your case

Frequently asked questions

What happens if I do nothing?

Scammers often come back and ask for more money. Without reports to your bank and the police the chance to catch the money fades, and the deadline for unauthorised payments can run out.

How do I protect the evidence?

Delete nothing. Save messages, e-mails and statements, take screenshots of the website and the app, and note numbers, websites and wallets. Keep copies outside your phone.

I live outside the Czech Republic. Can I file a complaint there?

Yes. A Czech criminal complaint can be filed electronically with a recognised electronic signature or through a data box, or by a Czech lawyer for you. You can also report it to the police where you live.

Do I need a lawyer?

Not for calling the bank or reporting to the police. A lawyer helps with larger sums, a damages claim, a dispute with a Czech bank or recipients in several countries.

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