Is cftrace legitimate?
Yes — and you should not take our word for it. Crypto recovery is a sector full of fraud, so this page sets out every fact about us that can be checked on a public government register, in one place, with the links to check it yourself.
cftrace is the trading name of TRACE AI INVESTIGATIONS LTD, a private limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 16828440, incorporated on 3 November 2025, with one named director of record and a published registered office.
Check us on Companies HouseThe public record
The deposit, stated in full
A refundable verification deposit. The amount depends on the case and is quoted to you in writing before you pay anything. We publish the terms in full because an unexplained upfront payment is the single most common marker of advance-fee fraud, and you are entitled to judge ours against that standard.
- It is a deposit, not a fee. It is refundable in full.
- The amount is case-dependent and is confirmed in writing, with the refund terms, before you are asked for anything.
- It exists to verify your identity and formally link your case file to you. It is not a payment for recovery.
- It is never paid to a private wallet or an individual. We never ask you to send crypto to a person.
- You can ask for it back at any point, for any reason, and you do not have to give a reason.
- If we decline your case or cannot proceed, it is returned without you having to ask.
- You always receive a written engagement scope, the realistic outcome and the fee before any work starts.
Full contractual wording is in our terms of engagement.
What we will never do
These are the behaviours that define a recovery scam. We state our position on each one in writing so you can hold us to it.
Anyone promising to get your money back is lying to you. Outcomes depend on where the funds went, who cooperates and which law applies. We say no to cases we cannot help.
Not once, not for verification, not for tracing. Anyone who asks is not us, however convincing the email address looks.
There is no such thing. A demand to pay before funds are released, including from someone claiming to be police or a regulator, is a second scam on top of the first.
We do not cold-call, cold-email or message victims on social media or Telegram. If someone contacted you claiming to be us, they are not.
We are a private investigation company. We work alongside your police report and instruct solicitors; we do not replace them and we hold no public powers.
Who is accountable
British, resident in England. Named on the Companies House register as the sole director of TRACE AI INVESTIGATIONS LTD and personally accountable for the conduct of the company. Complaints that are not resolved by your case officer are escalated to the director in writing.
View the appointment on the registerCase officers, tracing analysts and compliance staff are named to you in writing when your case is opened, and the same named person owns your file from start to finish. We do not publish full staff names and photographs on the public site, because recovery-scam operators routinely clone them to impersonate real investigators — you can always verify a person who contacts you by asking our support desk to confirm they work here.
Questions people ask before they trust us
Is cftrace a scam?
No. cftrace is the trading name of TRACE AI INVESTIGATIONS LTD, a private limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 16828440, incorporated on 3 November 2025 and currently active on the Companies House public register. The company has one named director of record, Gordon Thomas Buckland, and a published registered office at 4 Sawmill Close, Ridgewood, Uckfield, England, TN22 5RF. Every one of those facts can be checked on the government register without contacting us. We do not guarantee recovery, we do not cold-contact victims, and we never ask for a seed phrase, a private key or a fee to release funds.
Is cftrace a registered company, and where can I check?
Yes. Search company number 16828440 on the Companies House register at https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/16828440. It shows the incorporation date, the registered office, the filing history and the appointed director. Companies House is operated by the UK government and is free to search.
Why does cftrace ask for a deposit before recovery?
A refundable verification deposit. The amount depends on the case and is quoted to you in writing before you pay anything. It is a refundable deposit, not a fee. It exists only to verify your identity and formally link the case file to you, the amount depends on the case and is confirmed in writing before you pay, and you can ask for it back at any time without giving a reason. We never ask you to send funds to a private wallet or to an individual, and we never charge a release fee, tax or unlocking payment. If a company asks you for an unexplained, non-refundable upfront payment with no written terms, that is advance-fee fraud and you should walk away.
Does cftrace guarantee that my money will be recovered?
No, and no honest firm can. Recovery depends on where the funds travelled, whether the receiving institution cooperates and the law of the jurisdictions involved. We tell clients on the first call when a case is not viable, and we decline those cases rather than take them on.
Will cftrace ever contact me first?
No. We do not cold-call, cold-email or approach victims on Telegram, WhatsApp or social media. Recovery-scam operators frequently impersonate legitimate firms by copying their name, logo and staff photos. If someone contacted you first claiming to be cftrace, it is not us. Our only email addresses end in @cf-trace.com.
Does cftrace ask for wallet seed phrases or private keys?
Never, under any circumstances, including for identity verification or tracing. Tracing is performed on public blockchain data and does not require access to your wallet. Anyone requesting a seed phrase, recovery phrase, private key or wallet password is attempting to steal from you.
How do I check that a recovery company is legitimate?
Look for a company number on a public register you can search yourself; a named director who is legally accountable; a published physical address; written terms before any payment; an explicit statement that recovery is not guaranteed; a refundable, explained deposit rather than an unexplained upfront fee; and no request for seed phrases or release payments. Then check the register yourself rather than trusting a badge printed on a website.