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Report the fraud to the Lithuanian Police immediately, including through the ePolice portal for online reporting. Provide all available evidence: contracts, payment records, communications, transaction references, and identity information for the counterparty. The police report is a prerequisite for prosecution and unlocks investigative tools including bank record production, platform disclosure, and cross-border cooperation.
If the fraud involves an investment firm, licensed CASP, forex platform, bank, or financial market participant, file a complaint with Lietuvos bankas (online, by email, or by post – in Lithuanian or English). For financial crime or AML-related matters, report to the FNTT. For consumer disputes with traders, file with the VVTAT after first complaining to the provider (14-day rule; complaint in Lithuanian). Regulatory notification creates an enforcement record and may trigger supervisory investigation.
Contact your bank or payment provider immediately to block compromised accounts, cards, and transactions and initiate recall or chargeback procedures for fraudulent transactions.
Check the counterparty’s existence, registration status, and any insolvency or liquidation notices through the Register of Legal Entities at Registrų centras. For real estate matters, consult the real property register and cadastre functions. Registration irregularities or dissolution entries inform the enforcement strategy and determine whether asset preservation measures are necessary.
Save all communications, contracts, invoices, payment confirmations, website screenshots, email headers, and transaction records without alteration. Digital evidence is critical for both criminal investigation and civil proceedings and may become inaccessible if platforms delete accounts or the counterparty destroys records. Evidence preservation should begin immediately upon discovery of the fraud.
Criminal complaints filed with the Lithuanian Police and prosecuted by the Prosecutor General’s Office initiate formal investigation under Lithuanian criminal law. The FNTT handles financial crime investigations and AML/CFT matters. Relevant offences include fraud, computer fraud, document fraud, identity fraud, money laundering, and fraudulent bankruptcy. Criminal proceedings provide access to investigative tools unavailable in civil litigation – bank record production orders, platform identity disclosure, telecommunications data, and international judicial cooperation through mutual legal assistance treaties and EU instruments. The ePolice portal provides online crime reporting.
Civil proceedings before Lithuanian courts are available for contractual claims, damages, restitution, unjust enrichment, and rescission of fraudulent transactions. District courts are the courts of first instance for civil and criminal cases, with regional courts hearing certain first-instance and appeal cases. Freezing measures can be obtained to prevent dissipation of assets during proceedings. Civil litigation targets the fraudster and, where applicable, institutions that failed to prevent the fraud – including claims against banks and financial market participants for breach of their obligations.
Lietuvos bankas provides consumer dispute resolution against financial market participants – after the consumer has first complained to the provider. Complaints may be submitted in Lithuanian or English. The VVTAT handles consumer disputes with traders and service providers – the consumer must first complain to the seller or service provider, and if unresolved within 14 days, may apply to VVTAT (in Lithuanian). These mechanisms provide resolution without the full cost and duration of court proceedings.
Complaints to Lietuvos bankas create enforcement records that contribute to supervisory action against the entity. Reports on breaches of financial market legal acts may be submitted, and whistleblower reports may be forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office. Regulatory proceedings can result in licence suspension or revocation, fines, public warnings, and mandatory corrective measures. Regulatory findings may support civil claims by establishing that the entity breached its supervisory obligations under Lithuanian financial law.
Criminal complaints filed within hours of discovery give investigators the best chance of tracing funds before they are moved or layered through intermediary accounts. Bank recall mechanisms are most effective when initiated on the same day as the fraudulent transaction. Regulatory notifications filed promptly create contemporaneous records that strengthen both criminal and civil proceedings.
Named counterparties with identifiable assets in Lithuania – bank accounts, real property, registered companies, vehicles – are the most viable targets for civil recovery and enforcement. Where the fraudster operated anonymously or through shell structures, criminal investigation through the Lithuanian Police, FNTT, and Prosecutor’s Office is the primary identification tool through bank records, platform data, and telecommunications records.
Where a regulated institution – bank, payment institution, investment firm, forex platform, or licensed CASP supervised by Lietuvos bankas – failed to comply with its supervisory obligations, institutional liability claims provide an alternative recovery path against a solvent, regulated defendant. These claims do not depend on the fraudster’s identifiability or asset position and are particularly relevant where the fraudster has absconded or dissipated assets.
Contracts, payment records, communications, transaction references, and digital forensic evidence form the foundation for both criminal prosecution and civil recovery. Incomplete evidence – missing transaction references, deleted communications, unrecorded oral agreements – weakens both the criminal case and the civil enforcement position. Immediate, comprehensive evidence preservation at the point of discovery is the single most important step a victim can take to support recovery.
Fraud recovery in Lithuania operates through criminal proceedings, civil litigation, consumer dispute resolution, and regulatory complaints – each channel serving a distinct function in identifying the fraudster, preserving assets, and achieving financial recovery. Lietuvos bankas is the unified financial market supervisor, covering investment firms, licensed CASPs under MiCA, forex platforms, banks, and financial market participants – and providing consumer dispute resolution. The FNTT handles financial crime investigations and AML/CFT matters. The Lithuanian Police and Prosecutor General’s Office handle criminal investigation and prosecution across all fraud types, with the ePolice portal available for online reporting. The VVTAT handles consumer disputes with traders after the mandatory 14-day direct complaint period.
Speed of reporting determines outcomes across all channels. Criminal complaints filed immediately preserve the investigative window for fund tracing and asset identification. Bank recall and chargeback mechanisms lose effectiveness with each day of delay. Evidence preserved at the point of discovery – contracts, communications, transaction records, digital forensic data – forms the foundation for every recovery action. Complaints to Lietuvos bankas may be submitted in Lithuanian or English, while VVTAT procedures and court proceedings are conducted in Lithuanian, making early engagement of local counsel essential for international clients.
If you suffered financial losses through fraud involving Lithuanian companies, institutions, or counterparties, contact Veritas Advisory Group to have your legal position assessed.
Veritas Advisory Group provides professional legal and advisory services to victims of investment and trade fraud in Europe. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
