A sense of impunity
Many victims give up before they start, out of shame or because they think nothing will happen. Without organized evidence, the case tends to go unanswered and the scammer keeps finding new victims.
Digital investigation
Every online scam leaves a trail. We investigate.
We investigate scams, locate people and assets and organize the evidence for the police and the courts, confidentially.
What happened to you?
- Confidential serviceYour case is handled discreetly from start to finish.
- Protected conversationOur WhatsApp conversations are end-to-end encrypted.
- LGPD compliantYour data is used only for your case, under the LGPD (Brazil’s General Data Protection Law).
- Initial case reviewWe assess what can be done before any proposal.
We work on
We work on online scams, social media, locating people and assets, money recovery and privacy.
An online scam is a crime. And it does not have to go unanswered.
A cybercrime is any crime committed through the internet, a phone or digital systems: fraud, account hacking, extortion, stalking, fake profiles. Scammers hide behind made-up profiles and other people’s accounts, but they always leave traces: numbers, accounts, times and patterns.
Overloaded police stations and few specialists
Public agencies do essential work, but they receive a huge volume of cases and do not always have teams dedicated to cybercrime. Investigations can take time, and online, time erases evidence.
We do not replace the police or the courts. We work alongside them.
-
You
Tell us what happened and send what you already have: screenshots, receipts and links.
-
Vestígio
- We gather and organize the evidence
- We work to identify perpetrators and assets
- We follow the case to the end
-
Police and courts
They receive a documented case, with organized evidence, to investigate and decide.
How the scam happens
A scam takes minutes. The traces remain.
In the fake relative scam, someone says they changed their number, creates a sense of urgency and asks for a Pix (Brazil’s instant payment). Within minutes the money is gone. But the number, the photo, the account and the times are still there, and that is where we start investigating.
See how we investigateAnimated illustration on two phones: on the first, a scammer claims to be the son with a new number and asks for a Pix of 2,400 reais, which the mother sends. On the second, Vestígio’s analysis connects the number, the profile photo, the account and the message times, and produces a technical report for the police and the courts.
Find your case
Choose a category and tap a service to see what we do, how it works and what we will need from you.
/
The list of services below updates as you type.
We could not find that case in the list.
Tell us on WhatsApp. We will work out together what can be done.
How it works
From the first contact to the report, you always know what stage your case is at.
Chat on WhatsApp-
01
Contact on WhatsApp
You tell us what happened, at your own pace and without judgment.
-
02
Initial case review
We assess what can be done in your case and advise on the best way forward.
-
03
Proposal and information gathering
You receive a clear written proposal and send us the evidence you already have.
-
04
Investigation
We gather, cross-check and validate the information.
-
05
Report and next steps
We deliver a technical report and advise on the police and legal measures.
Forensic rigor, human service.
Someone who has been scammed needs two things: someone who takes the case seriously and someone who explains, plainly, what can be done. Vestígio was founded to offer both.
-
Confidentiality
Your case is handled discreetly from the first contact to the final report.
-
Ethics and legality
We only use open sources and lawful means. We do not hack accounts and we do not wiretap.
-
LGPD compliant
Your data is used only for your case and kept securely, under the LGPD (Brazil’s General Data Protection Law).
-
Technical reports
Organized evidence, with sources and dates, ready for the police, your lawyer and the judge.
-
Human support
You talk to people, not bots, and you know what is happening at every stage.
I’ve been scammed. Now what?
Breathe. What you do in the next few hours makes a big difference. Follow this list, even if you are not hiring anyone yet.
Do this now
- Call your bank immediately. Ask them to block the transaction and, if it was a Pix, to open a MED (Pix Special Refund Mechanism) request. The sooner you act, the better the chances of getting the money back.
- Do not delete anything. Conversations, emails, profiles and numbers are evidence, even if it hurts to look at them.
- Take screenshots of everything. With the date, time and number or @ visible. Also copy the links to the profiles and ads. If it happened on WhatsApp, export the chat.
- Keep the receipts. Pix payments, boletos (payment slips), transfers, statements and card bills.
- File a boletim de ocorrência (police report). You can do it online, at your state’s virtual police station.
Don’t
- Do not pay to release or recover the money. Anyone who charges a fee promising to return the money is usually running a second scam.
- Do not confront the scammer. They may delete profiles and evidence and disappear.
- Do not send passwords or codes. No legitimate bank, company or investigator asks for that.
- Do not blame yourself. Scams are run by professionals to fool anyone. Asking for help quickly is what matters most.
Quick check · Interactive
Is this a scam?
Answer 6 quick questions and find out whether the situation shows signs of a scam. At the end, you will see which warning signs came up and what to do.
- Your answers stay in your browser
- Takes less than a minute
Ready
This check is for guidance only and does not replace a specialist’s analysis.
Latest alerts
See all alertsFrequently asked questions
Didn’t find yours? Ask us on WhatsApp.
Yes. Everything you tell us and send us is treated confidentially and used only for your case, in line with the LGPD (Brazil’s General Data Protection Law). We do not disclose client names or details of investigations.
No, and be wary of anyone who does. Recovery depends on the time since the scam, the path the money took and the response of banks and the courts. What we guarantee is serious, transparent and well-documented work, with an honest assessment of the chances from the initial review.
It depends on the service and the complexity of the case. After the initial review you receive a clear written proposal, before any payment.
It varies from case to case. Some analyses are ready in a few days; more complex investigations can take weeks. The estimated timeline is in the proposal, and you receive updates during the work.
Yes. We are based in Recife (Pernambuco) and serve all of Brazil online. When a case requires someone in person, such as going with you to a police station, we assess whether it is feasible.
Yes. We work only with open sources and lawfully accessible databases, within the LGPD (Brazil’s General Data Protection Law) and Brazilian law. We do not hack accounts, we do not wiretap and we do not access data protected by confidentiality. When information can only be obtained by court order, we guide the request through the right channel.
No. The official investigation belongs to the police and the decisions belong to the courts. Our work complements those channels: we gather and organize evidence, work to identify perpetrators and assets and follow the case. Legal measures are handled by a partner lawyer registered with the OAB (Brazilian Bar Association).
Never. We do not ask for passwords, verification codes or access to your accounts. If anyone asks for that on behalf of Vestígio, it is a scam.
Tell us what happened. We will tell you, honestly, what can be done.
Chat on WhatsApp- (81) 99218-3600
- contato@
vestigio.app.br - Hours
- Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Brasília time)
- Where we work
- Based in Recife, Brazil. Online service across Brazil.
Urgent cases: after-hours help If your case cannot wait, message us on WhatsApp even outside business hours.
Message us on WhatsApp