Protecting an older adult from cryptocurrency fraud starts with preventing a transfer and, if money has already been sent, reporting it quickly—not hiring a recovery company first. Lionsgate Network is an identifiable commercial website that advertises crypto tracing and recovery support, but its own claims do not establish independent verification, government approval, or a likelihood of getting funds back. Report the crime, contact the bank or exchange, secure accounts, and preserve evidence before considering any paid service.
How cryptocurrency scams target older adults
Scams often combine social pressure with a convincing-looking website or app. The criminal’s aim is not merely to sell a bad investment; it is to persuade the victim to send money into a wallet or account the criminal controls.
Fake investment platforms
A victim may encounter an ad, social-media post, or unsolicited message and then be introduced to a supposed adviser, romantic partner, celebrity, or financial expert. The contact builds trust and directs the victim to a polished trading platform. A dashboard may show fictional gains, but when the victim tries to withdraw, the platform demands taxes, release fees, security deposits, or an account upgrade. Paying those demands rarely resolves the problem; it can lead to further demands. The FBI describes crypto investment fraud as socially engineered and sometimes tied to romance or confidence scams: FBI guidance on cryptocurrency investment fraud.
Impersonation and “move your money to safety” demands
Scammers may pose as a bank, government agency, IRS agent, technology-support worker, exchange employee, police officer, or family member. A caller may claim an account is compromised and direct the victim to buy cryptocurrency or transfer funds to a supposedly safe wallet. A legitimate government agency does not require payment through a crypto kiosk. Verify any urgent claim by ending the contact and calling a number from an official statement, card, or verified website—not the number supplied by the caller.
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Bitcoin ATMs and couriers
In a common kiosk scam, the victim withdraws cash, scans a QR code supplied by the criminal, and deposits the cash at a Bitcoin ATM. The kiosk converts it to cryptocurrency and sends it to an address controlled by the scammer. The FBI recorded more than 2,000 complaints from people over 60 involving crypto ATMs or kiosks in 2023. Its 2025 IC3 report recorded 6,188 such complaints from victims aged 60 and older, with approximately $257.5 million in reported losses. These are reported complaints and losses, not a count of every incident. In a June 2026 warning, the FBI also described scammers using couriers to collect cash from older adults for supposed crypto investments: FBI warning about cryptocurrency fraud targeting older adults.
Romance, wallet, and phishing scams
A romance or “pig-butchering” scammer develops a relationship over time, then introduces an investment opportunity on a fake platform. Other schemes steal funds by getting a victim to reveal a wallet’s seed phrase or private key, approve a malicious transaction, install remote-access software, click a fake exchange link, or sign a transaction they do not understand. A hardware wallet may reduce some online private-key risks; it cannot stop someone from voluntarily sending funds to a scammer or approving a harmful transaction.
Why this warrants attention
The FTC reported that older adults reported $2.4 billion in total fraud losses in 2024, about four times the reported 2020 figure; investment scams generated the largest reported losses. Many older victims described being directed to fake cryptocurrency investment platforms after social-media contact. The FBI’s 2023 elder-fraud data recorded more than 15,000 cryptocurrency complaints from people over 60, with reported losses exceeding $1.1 billion. Its 2025 IC3 report recorded 13,685 cryptocurrency-investment complaints from victims aged 60 and older, with about $2.764 billion in reported losses. These figures describe reported cases, not every victim or the full extent of harm; fraud is underreported and the FBI has noted that many complaints do not include age. See the FTC report announcement, FBI 2023 elder fraud report, and FBI 2025 IC3 report.
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Red flags to recognize before sending money
- A promise of guaranteed returns, unusually high profits, or “zero-risk” investing.
- Pressure to act immediately, keep the opportunity secret, or avoid talking to family or a bank.
- An unsolicited caller, message, pop-up, or online acquaintance who directs a crypto purchase.
- Instructions to move money to cryptocurrency “for protection,” pay a supposed government debt with crypto, or use a kiosk QR code provided by someone else.
- A platform that displays profits but demands a tax, fee, insurance payment, deposit, or upgrade before releasing funds.
- A request for a seed phrase, private key, password, remote access to a device, or a transaction signature the victim does not understand.
- A new “recovery” contact who appears after a loss and promises to retrieve the money for an advance payment.
What to do immediately after a crypto scam
Act promptly, but do not let the scammer—or a supposed rescuer—rush you into another payment. A bank, payment provider, exchange, or kiosk operator may have procedures for reporting fraud; contacting them quickly gives them the opportunity to act under those procedures. No private firm can guarantee a freeze or return.
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- End contact and send no more money. Do not pay a supposed tax, release charge, investigation fee, validation payment, bond, or insurance fee to recover the loss. Do not reply to new recovery offers.
- Preserve the evidence. Keep messages, emails, call records, receipts, transaction details, and screenshots. Do not delete accounts or conversations before saving relevant records.
- Call the sending institution and any relevant crypto service. Contact the bank, card issuer, wire provider, payment app, cryptocurrency exchange, or Bitcoin ATM operator using contact details from an official statement, account dashboard, or verified website. Ask to report fraud and whether any transfer can be stopped, flagged, or documented.
- Secure accounts from a clean device. Change exposed passwords, beginning with email and financial accounts; use unique passwords and multifactor authentication. If a seed phrase or private key may have been exposed, treat that wallet as compromised and, if you can do so safely, move remaining assets to a new secure wallet. Revoke suspicious token or wallet approvals where possible. Do not give anyone remote access to “fix” the wallet.
- File an FBI report. Submit a complaint to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. Include wallet addresses, transaction identifiers, the websites and contact details used, payment information, and screenshots.
- Use the older-victim support route if applicable. People aged 60 or older can contact the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). The number is listed in the FBI’s June 2026 warning.
- Report consumer fraud and notify local authorities. File with the FTC, contact local law enforcement, and notify the relevant state consumer-protection office. Tell a trusted family member or caregiver, especially if retirement savings, home-equity funds, or joint accounts are involved.
Evidence to gather for a report
One trusted family member can help assemble a record without sharing sensitive credentials. The FBI advises complainants to include identifying details, payment information, wallet addresses, websites, phone numbers, screenshots, and related applications. Save copies in a secure location.
- Victim’s name and contact information, plus the date and time of each relevant interaction.
- Names, usernames, phone numbers, email addresses, social-media accounts, and messaging handles used by the suspect.
- Scam website URLs, app names, domain names, and screenshots of any dashboard or displayed profits.
- Wallet addresses, transaction IDs or hashes, and the blockchain network involved, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana.
- Names of exchanges, account identifiers, deposit addresses, bank statements, wire confirmations, payment-app records, and Bitcoin ATM receipts.
- Emails, texts, WhatsApp or Telegram messages, voicemails, and call logs.
- Details of remote-access software installed or used, and copies of identity documents sent to the scammer.
- Names and claims made by any supposed lawyer, investigator, government agent, or recovery firm, along with every additional payment requested.
Never include passwords, private keys, seed phrases, or complete identity documents in a public post or ordinary email to a stranger. Provide sensitive records only through a verified, appropriate reporting or professional channel.
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What Lionsgate Network advertises—and what that establishes
Lionsgate is a commercial website that says it operates as Lionsgate Intelligence Network under UNIQUEHORNS LTD., company registration number 516374014, and lists an address in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. The company advertises crypto tracing, investigation, scam-prevention, recovery support, and law-enforcement support. Its listed case types include fake trading platforms, wallet hacks, phishing, romance scams, and pig-butchering schemes. These details describe the company’s own presentation, not an independent endorsement or verification of its results. See its main website, cryptocurrency scam services, and crypto investigation page.
Its stated process and pricing
On its cryptocurrency-scams page, Lionsgate describes a process that may include an initial call, opening a case file, analyst review, a proposed plan, consideration of legal options, communication with a fund holder or referral to authorities, and an attempted settlement. The page advertises a free initial evaluation or Recovery Wizard. Its Q&A page says pricing depends on case complexity and resources required; the reviewed pages do not provide a standard price list. The free evaluation should not be treated as evidence that later investigation or recovery work is free. These are the company’s stated process and pricing signals, not independently verified outcomes: Lionsgate cryptocurrency scam page and Lionsgate Q&A.
Claims that require separate verification
Lionsgate’s law-enforcement page describes its task force and relationships with agencies; those statements are company claims unless independently confirmed by the relevant agency. A corporate registration, agency name, former-official biography, or listed identifier does not by itself prove government approval, a formal partnership, authority to seize funds, or acceptance of a report by law enforcement. The reviewed sources do not establish a verified recovery rate, independently confirmed client outcomes, or universal availability. Before relying on credentials, confirm them directly with the relevant regulator, agency, or professional body. See the company’s law-enforcement support page.
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What blockchain tracing can—and cannot—do
Public blockchains can expose transaction flows, but a visible trail is not the same as identifying a person or recovering money. A competent investigation may follow transactions, group related addresses, map movement across wallets, identify transfers to known exchanges or services, and prepare an evidence chronology for an exchange, lawyer, insurer, or law-enforcement agency. Lionsgate says it offers blockchain forensics, cross-chain tracing, wallet attribution, and evidence reports; those service descriptions are claims on its website, investigation page, and law-enforcement support page.
Tracing, attribution, freezing, seizure, judgment, and restitution are separate steps. A completed blockchain transfer generally cannot be reversed by its sender. A trace cannot alone prove who controls an anonymous address, compel an exchange to return funds, guarantee prosecution, or ensure that assets remain at an identifiable service. The FBI warns that private recovery companies cannot issue seizure orders; exchanges freeze accounts under their own procedures or in response to legal process. Any freeze or return is uncertain and depends on the facts, the service involved, and applicable legal process. See the FBI’s cryptocurrency recovery-fraud guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to vet Lionsgate or another recovery firm
Consider a private investigator only after reporting the crime, contacting relevant financial services, securing accounts, and deciding that a technical report could serve a specific purpose. A private investigation may be worth evaluating for a substantial loss with usable transaction records, especially if an exchange, attorney, insurer, or law-enforcement contact has requested organized blockchain evidence. It may be a poor fit if the victim cannot afford further risk, has no useful records, needs urgent account security or legal representation instead, or is being pressured to pay an advance fee.
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Questions to get answered in writing
- What is the exact legal entity, jurisdiction, and relevant license or registration for the work offered?
- Who will do the work, and what verifiable qualifications do those people hold?
- What are the deliverables: tracing only, exchange outreach, litigation support, or another service?
- What is the full fee structure, including retainer, hourly or contingency charges, success fees, expenses, taxes, and possible follow-on costs?
- What happens if funds are not located, and can the client terminate the engagement?
- Who owns the report, and how will identity, transaction, and wallet information be stored and protected?
- Does the contract set governing law, arbitration, refund terms, or limits on liability?
- Will the company contact an exchange or law enforcement directly, and can it provide permission-based references that can be checked independently?
Walk away from these warning signs
- A guarantee of recovery, “zero-risk” results, or a claim that the firm can directly seize funds.
- A demand to pay cryptocurrency to recover cryptocurrency, or an advance “tax,” bond, unlock, insurance, or validation fee.
- Unsolicited contact after the original scam, pressure to act immediately, or instructions to keep the engagement secret from family, a bank, or law enforcement.
- Requests for seed phrases, private keys, passwords, or remote device access.
- Claims of secret government-database access, or government seals and agency names offered in place of verifiable credentials.
- No written contract, unclear deliverables, or testimonials and success figures that cannot be independently checked.
The FBI warns that recovery scammers may charge advance fees, provide incomplete or inaccurate tracing reports, demand more money, or falsely claim legal or law-enforcement affiliations. A sophisticated website or a convincing case narrative is not a substitute for a contract and independent verification: FBI recovery-fraud guidance.
Alternatives to paying a recovery company
Official reporting and institutional contacts are the safer first steps; they create a record and may let an institution assess whether it can act, although none guarantees repayment.
- Bank, card issuer, wire provider, payment app, exchange, or kiosk operator: report the transaction through verified contact channels and ask what documentation they need.
- FBI IC3, DOJ Elder Justice Hotline, FTC, local police, and state consumer protection office: report the crime and ask about the appropriate victim-support route.
- Licensed attorney: consider one when there is a known defendant, substantial loss, a domestic exchange, a civil claim, or a need for subpoenas, injunctions, litigation, or advice about elder exploitation and power of attorney.
- Independently verified forensic professional or private investigator: consider only when a defined technical deliverable is needed; verify licensing and credentials through the relevant professional or government records.
- Victim-assistance organizations: ask local or government victim services what support is available, particularly if the loss has affected housing, health, or financial security.
A prevention plan for seniors and caregivers
Agree on one money-movement rule
No one moves money into cryptocurrency because of an unexpected call, text, email, social-media message, pop-up, romantic relationship, or supposed government emergency. Pause, end the contact, and independently call the institution using a number on an official statement, card, or verified website.
Make accounts harder to compromise
- Use a password manager and unique passwords for email, banking, exchange, and social-media accounts.
- Turn on multifactor authentication; where practical, prefer an authenticator app or security key to SMS.
- Enable bank and exchange transaction alerts, and set withdrawal limits if the institution offers them.
- Use a separate email address for financial services, keep devices updated, and use reputable security software.
- Never install remote-access software because an unsolicited caller instructs you to do so.
- Never share a wallet’s seed phrase or private key; do not approve or sign a transaction you do not understand.
- Keep an emergency contact sheet with official bank, exchange, and reporting details, stored safely and shared with a trusted person as appropriate.
Support without taking away dignity
Caregivers should use nonjudgmental language: people are manipulated through trust and pressure, and shame can make it harder to report a crime. With the older adult’s consent, set alerts or a second review for unusually large transfers. Watch for secrecy, unfamiliar online relationships, unexplained crypto purchases, or repeated “tax” and “release” payments. Preserve records before confronting a suspected scammer. If capacity, power of attorney, or financial exploitation is a concern, consult an elder-law attorney or trusted financial professional.
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