Portugal. Swiss counsel. Bern register 2018
Whoever took the coins returns. Unless someone locks them.
Mais vale prevenir do que remediar.Better to prevent than to cure. The second visit of the fraudster is the one you can still prevent.
In Lisbon, Porto, Braga and Coimbra, fake platforms have reached people who work and save carefully. Being deceived is no disgrace. The disgrace would be paying the same people twice.
How the loss usually arrives
In Portugal these networks mostly arrive through Telegram, WhatsApp or dating apps: a platform promising weekly returns, a "consultant" speaking perfect Portuguese, or an acquaintance abroad. The first withdrawal goes well to build trust. Then the platform vanishes, or demands a "tax" before releasing funds.
Report to the PSP or the Policia Judiciaria, in person or through the Queixa Eletronica portal, and keep the case number. Check the CMVM warnings, which maintain an active list of unauthorised entities. The complaint documents the crime. It does not freeze coins at a foreign platform.
What a Swiss court can do
If the coins still sit at a custodial exchange, a Swiss interim order, backed by a forensic report tying your transaction hashes to a hosted wallet, can ask for a freeze. A support ticket gives you a number. A court order gives you a freeze. A freeze is a lock, not a payment.
Trace first, then freeze, then repatriate to a bank account under your control. The fee is 12.5 percent, invoiced only after your bank is paid. No recovery, no fee. We never ask for payment in crypto.
Who calls after a loss
Anyone who calls knowing the amount you lost and offering recovery for upfront fees is the second scam. Victim lists are sold. This desk never calls first, never works via Telegram, and never asks for a seed phrase, a private key, AnyDesk, or a crypto payment.
Sascha Christener, MLaw, has been on the attorney register of the Canton of Bern since February 2018. Search the name on Bern's public register before sending documents. It is the strongest verification available.
How to send the file
In English or Portuguese, as you prefer. What happened, the platform name, transaction hashes or transfer references, and your case number if you have one. The evaluation is free, confidential, and written. If the file has no endpoint a court can reach, you will know early and clearly, not after invoices.
Report a case
Name, email and phone are required. Do not send seed phrases or private keys.