By 2020, one red flag became so consistent across fraudulent trading platforms that it often allowed us to identify a scam within minutes: the demand for a fee before releasing a withdrawal.
These so-called verification fees appeared under dozens of different names, each designed to sound official while pressuring victims into sending additional money. During this period, our internal case reviews documented the most common variations, including:
• “Anti-money laundering fee” — falsely claiming regulatory requirements
• “Liquidity injection fee” — implying the account lacks internal capital
• “Blockchain activation fee” — pretending blockchain transactions require manual approval
• “Investor tier upgrade fee” — suggesting withdrawal access is tied to membership levels
Not a single one of these fees exists in legitimate banking, crypto exchanges, or regulated financial institutions.
The objective is always the same:
to delay withdrawals, extract more money, and create the illusion that the victim is close to receiving funds—when in reality, no payout is ever intended.
For clients who contact us after encountering these demands, our team focuses on documentation, verification, and tracing to determine exactly how the scam operated. You can learn more about our structured approach through our financial investigations practice.
If you’re being asked to pay any type of “verification fee,” stop immediately and let us review the situation. A confidential consultation is available anytime—simply contact us.
Not sure what to do next?
If you’ve dealt with this broker or platform and you’re unsure what actually happened to your funds, our investigative team can review your evidence and give you a clear, realistic assessment – without any upfront payment or pressure.
Include dates, transaction IDs, wallet or account references, platform URLs, and any emails or chat logs. The more detail you provide, the more precise our analysis can be.