Principles
- Preserve originals; work from copies
- Capture context: full screens with visible dates, URLs and account names
- Never edit an image or message to 'tidy it up'
- Record when and how you captured each item
By evidence type
- Email: save the original message and full headers, do not forward as the only copy
- Chats: use the platform's export function where available, plus screenshots
- Websites: capture the full URL, a screenshot, and save the page if you can
- Payments: download statements as PDFs and note reference numbers separately
- Crypto: record transaction hashes, not screenshots alone
Storage
Keep one folder per incident with a dated file naming convention, and one backup in a separate location. Restrict access to yourself and anyone officially assisting you.
Independent service. FraudGuard Recovery & Cyber Safety is an independent private service. We are not a law enforcement agency, government body, bank, regulator or law firm, and we have no government affiliation. We do not guarantee the recovery of lost funds. Outcomes depend on the circumstances of each case and on the institutions involved.