About us
We started PaybackCircle because victims deserved better than what the industry was offering.
Founded in 2019 by former financial-crime analysts. Independent, licensed, and structurally incapable of taking a 'recovery guarantee' fee — because we don't offer one.
Our mission
Honest investigation. Clear communication. No second victimisation.
After a decade inside banks and financial-crime units, our founders watched fraud victims get failed twice: first by the scammer, then by "recovery" firms that took thousands and delivered nothing but false hope.
PaybackCircle exists to be the alternative — a licensed investigative firm that tells you honestly what happened, what's realistic, and what to do. Sometimes the answer is a full investigation. Sometimes it's a 30-minute call and a police report template. We charge for the former; the latter is free.
We have never promised — and will never promise — that we can recover your funds. Anyone in this industry who does is trading on your desperation. We refuse to be that firm.
Team
The people you'll actually work with.
A small, senior team. No junior sales staff, no offshored call centres. When you speak to us, you speak to a case analyst.
Adrien Laurent
Founder & Head of Investigations
CFE · Former financial crime analyst, tier-1 European bank
Fifteen years investigating money laundering, wire fraud, and cross-border payments. Founded PaybackCircle after seeing how few honest options existed for individual victims.
Marta Oliveira
Senior Cyber Investigator
CFCE · GCFE · MSc Digital Forensics
Specialises in blockchain tracing, communications forensics, and platform-record acquisition. Frequent expert witness in EU civil proceedings.
Jonas Nyström
Head of Legal Liaison
LL.M. Cross-Border Litigation · Non-practising
Coordinates with licensed counsel in 14 jurisdictions. Ensures our reports meet evidentiary standards in the courts likely to receive them.
Sara Reinhardt
Client Care Lead
Trauma-informed practitioner
First point of contact for new clients. Trained specifically to work with people who are anxious, embarrassed, or wary of being scammed a second time.
Credentials & affiliations
Verifiable, not vague.
Every membership below is publicly verifiable on the issuing body's website. Ask us for our registration numbers — we'll send them.
Registration No. PBK-2019-0417
Companies House · United Kingdom
ACFE
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners — Corporate Member
ICO
UK Information Commissioner's Office — Registered Data Controller
CIISec
Chartered Institute of Information Security — Corporate Member
ABI
Association of British Investigators — Corporate Member