"Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu."
EthGuardians is a blockchain intelligence firm registered in Hong Kong SAR. We help crypto fraud victims across South Africa, with a 96% historical recovery rate. You pay only if funds are returned to you.
If you lost crypto to a scam in South Africa, you are in experienced company. This country has seen every variant: Ponzi schemes promising fixed monthly returns, fake forex and crypto trading platforms, and WhatsApp stokvel fraud that turns a trusted savings circle into an exit door for other people's money. The pattern is usually the same. Early withdrawals pay out to build confidence. Then, when you try to withdraw a real amount, the platform demands a "tax" or an "unlock fee". That demand is the clearest sign of fraud.
The official first step is a case at your local SAPS station, with the cybercrime unit where available, and a report to the FSCA if an investment scheme was involved. The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) handles the financial intelligence side. In Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban or Pretoria, keep your case number: it confirms your status as a victim and we will ask for it. The FSCA also publishes warnings about unauthorised schemes; check whether your platform appears there. These reports create an official record in your name. They matter, but they do not trace funds on their own.
That is where our work begins. The blockchain is public: every transaction stays written there. Our forensic team follows your funds from wallet to wallet, through to the exchanges where they landed. With our Swiss legal partners, we then pursue account freezes and court orders against identifiable recipients. You receive a written assessment before we start, and you pay only if funds are returned to you.
Your local SAPS station, cybercrime unit where available, and the FSCA for investment schemes. The FIC handles financial intelligence.
The FSCA publishes warnings on unauthorised crypto and forex schemes. Check its list before you pay anyone.
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, and everywhere in between.
We combine blockchain forensic analysis, Ethereum smart contracts and Swiss legal expertise to recover assets for victims across South Africa.
A structured four-step process built on blockchain forensics and legal action.
Every case is different, and recovery is never guaranteed. Here is our honest read of the fraud types most common in South Africa.
We never ask for your seed phrase, private keys, two-factor codes, remote access to your device, or any upfront payment. Anyone who asks for these in our name is an impersonator.
These testimonials represent verified client experiences. Names are anonymised to protect their privacy.
Johannesburg, South Africa • March 2026
"I lost R610,000 to a fake forex and crypto platform. After I opened a case with SAPS, I heard nothing back. EthGuardians traced my deposits to two exchanges, and a large part of my money was returned within four months."
Cape Town, South Africa • October 2025
"A WhatsApp investment group cost me R285,000 in USDT. I was embarrassed to talk about it. The team treated my case with respect and documented every transaction. Part of the funds was frozen, then returned."
Your case assessment is free and delivered in writing. If we accept the case, our fee is fixed in writing before work begins, and it is deducted only from recovered funds, once they reach you. If nothing is recovered, you pay nothing.
Never. We never ask for your seed phrase, private keys, two-factor codes, remote access to your device, or any upfront payment. Anyone who asks for these in our name is an impersonator.
Open a case at your local SAPS station, with the cybercrime unit where available, and report investment schemes to the FSCA. The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) handles the financial intelligence side. Keep your case number: it confirms your status as a victim and we will need it. Also check the FSCA warning list for the platform name.
Tracing takes from a few days to a few weeks. Legal action usually takes three to six months, sometimes longer depending on the platforms and countries involved. You receive a realistic timeline in writing after the assessment. Recovery is never guaranteed.
No. The blockchain does not forget: every transaction is still on the public ledger. Limitation periods differ and delay makes tracing harder, so open the SAPS case now and submit your case the same day.
Pay nothing more. This is the classic advance-fee fraud signal: every payment leads to another. Keep the receipts and conversations, report the platform to SAPS and the FSCA, then have your case assessed.
