Chrysanthou Mylona 1-3030, Panaghides Building, Episkopi, Cyprus, 350
Room 2a 14/f Chun Wo Commercial Centre, 23–29 Wing Wo Street, Central, Hong Kong
Report the fraud to the Landespolizei (National Police of Liechtenstein) immediately. Emergency: 112. Police: 117. Email: info@landespolizei.li. 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, TT service provider, bank, or payment service provider, file a complaint with the FMA at info@fma-li.li. The FMA pursues indications of activities by non-licensed financial service providers and TT service providers violating registration obligations. Regulatory notification creates an enforcement record and may trigger supervisory investigation.
Contact your bank or payment provider immediately to block compromised accounts and cards and initiate recall or chargeback procedures for fraudulent transactions.
For civil-law disputes with banks, investment firms, asset managers, payment service providers, or TT service providers, the Conciliation Board for financial services provides extrajudicial resolution. For consumer-business disputes, the Conciliation Board for Consumer Affairs offers free, non-compulsory conciliation. These mechanisms can be pursued in parallel with criminal proceedings.
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 National Police and prosecuted by the Office of the Public Prosecutor initiate formal investigation under Liechtenstein criminal law. Relevant offences include fraud, computer fraud, embezzlement, document fraud, money laundering, and fraudulent bankruptcy. The National Police groups fraud and embezzlement within economic crime. 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 coordinated by the Office of Justice – Judicial Affairs.
Civil proceedings before Liechtenstein’s ordinary courts are available for contractual claims, damages, restitution, unjust enrichment, and rescission of fraudulent transactions. Attachment and interim 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 intermediaries for breach of their obligations.
The Conciliation Board for financial services provides extrajudicial resolution for civil-law disputes with banks, investment firms, asset managers, payment service providers, TT service providers, and other financial intermediaries. The Conciliation Board for Consumer Affairs provides free, non-compulsory conciliation between consumers and businesses. The Point of Contact for consumer protection matters provides initial legal advice and assistance with complaint letters. These mechanisms provide resolution without the full cost and duration of court proceedings.
Complaints to the FMA create enforcement records that contribute to supervisory action against the entity. The FMA pursues indications of non-licensed financial service providers and TT service providers violating registration obligations. Reports indicating criminal facts can be forwarded to the prosecutor. Regulatory proceedings can result in licence suspension or revocation, fines, and mandatory corrective measures. Regulatory findings may support civil claims by establishing that the entity breached its obligations under Liechtenstein 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 Liechtenstein – 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 National Police and Office of the Public Prosecutor is the primary identification tool through bank records, platform data, and telecommunications records.
Where a regulated institution – bank, payment service provider, investment firm, or TT service provider supervised by the FMA – 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 Liechtenstein operates through criminal proceedings, civil litigation, extrajudicial conciliation, and regulatory complaints – each channel serving a distinct function in identifying the fraudster, preserving assets, and achieving financial recovery. The FMA supervises banks, investment firms, TT service providers, and other financial intermediaries – pursuing non-licensed providers and forwarding criminal indications to the prosecutor. The National Police and Office of the Public Prosecutor handle criminal investigation and prosecution across all fraud types. Two Conciliation Boards provide extrajudicial dispute resolution – one for financial services and one for consumer affairs. The Office of Justice – Judicial Affairs provides the institutional framework for enforcement, insolvency, and mutual legal assistance.
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. All official proceedings are conducted in German – English translations have no legal force – making early engagement of local counsel essential for international clients.
If you suffered financial losses through fraud involving Liechtenstein 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.
