Crypto recovery in Australia
starts with ASIC and ScamWatch.
Australia has a sophisticated multi-agency response to cryptocurrency fraud: ASIC maintains the MoneySmart Investor Alert List, ScamWatch (run by the ACCC) consolidates national scam reporting, AUSTRAC supervises crypto exchanges, and AFP Cybercrime handles serious-fraud investigations. Australian victims have well-defined channels but need to file in all of them; CryptoLeek coordinates that filing process and runs the recovery investigation in parallel.
The agencies your case touches.
Australian Securities and Investments Commission
ASIC maintains the MoneySmart Investor Alert List naming entities targeting Australian investors without proper authorisation. Updated weekly. Essential pre-deposit check.
Visit warning list →Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
ScamWatch consolidates all scam reporting nationally. Reports feed into ACCC's annual Targeting Scams report and into law-enforcement intelligence.
Visit warning list →Australian Federal Police
AFP Cybercrime handles serious crypto-fraud cases meeting federal-jurisdiction thresholds.
AUSTRAC
Supervises Australian-registered crypto exchanges for AML compliance. AUSTRAC enforcement action against non-compliant exchanges sometimes creates recovery opportunities.
What to do in the first 24 hours.
- 01
Report to ScamWatch immediately
scamwatch.gov.au takes 15 minutes. Feeds the ACCC database and triggers consumer alerts.
- 02
Report to ASIC if the platform claimed regulation
If the platform claimed AFSL authorisation or any regulated-services framing, report directly to ASIC. This may trigger MoneySmart Alert listing.
- 03
Notify your bank within 24 hours
Australian bank fraud teams have established procedures for crypto-fraud reports. Speed matters; recall windows are short.
- 04
Report to your state police
Each state has cybercrime reporting channels. NSW Police, Victoria Police, and Queensland Police all have dedicated cyber units.
What we see most in Australia.
- ● Platforms falsely claiming "AFSL-licensed" or "ASIC-regulated" status that are NOT on the ASIC register
- ● Romance-to-investment patterns targeting Australian retirees via Facebook and dating apps
- ● Fake "ATO tax clearance" demands — the ATO never collects through foreign exchanges
- ● Recovery scams targeting recent ScamWatch reporters, often within 2-3 weeks of the initial filing
Our footprint in the Australian market.
For Australian victims, CryptoLeek operates with Australian-bar counsel in Sydney and Melbourne for civil action, direct compliance contacts at the major Australian-presence exchanges (CoinJar, Independent Reserve, Swyftx), and coordination with AFP Cybercrime where federal-jurisdiction thresholds are met.
Questions Australian victims ask us most.
Does ASIC recover money from crypto scams? +
I reported to ScamWatch but nothing happened. What now? +
How does CryptoLeek work for Australian cases? +
Lost crypto in Australia?
The free 24-hour case review tells you what's recoverable.
We give you an honest yes/no/conditional verdict within one business day, with the specific recovery path mapped to your jurisdiction. The assessment is free; if we accept the case, the investigation retainer is quoted in writing before any work begins.