Investigation agency for law firms: fact-finding and evidence

NCRB supports law firms and insolvency practitioners with digital investigation built to hold up. We are a licensed Dutch investigation agency (Wpbr licence POB 1737, Ministry of Justice and Security) and work exclusively with lawful sources and methods. Every finding carries a source reference, timestamp, and methodology note, so you know what you can use in a submission and how it was obtained.

How we support your practice

Fact-finding and OSINT

Reconstruction of facts from public and lawfully accessible sources: persons, entities, networks, online activity, and archived web content.

Recovery research

Indicators of recoverable assets held by a debtor or opposing party, before you advise on attachment or litigation. This helps establish whether proceedings are economically justified.

Asset tracing

Concealed assets, corporate structures and crypto holdings mapped in divorce, insolvency or fraud matters.

Digital evidence preservation

Preserving online evidence with metadata and hash values before it disappears: messages, profiles, web pages, and transactions.

Crypto tracing

Blockchain analysis as input for criminal complaints, attachment requests, or civil claims, including exchange attribution where possible.

Insolvency and fraud investigation

Support for trustees and litigation teams on suspected fraudulent conveyance, concealed assets, or fraud.

Investigative support

Additional investigative capacity or a specific capability for a case, under your direction and, if required, under your branding. You keep the client relationship; we deliver the work.

Read also: OSINT for Law Firms: Turning Open Sources into Evidence-Ready Intelligence

Lawfulness and usability

• Wpbr licence POB 1737: we are authorized to conduct this work and are supervised on it.
• GDPR legal basis documented per engagement, typically legitimate interest, with a proportionality and subsidiarity assessment up front.
• No pretexting, no social engineering, no unauthorized access. What we deliver, you can defend.
• Reporting with source references and a confidence rating per finding, structured for use in legal submissions.
• We report facts and indicators; we do not guarantee the outcome of proceedings or recovery actions.

How an engagement works

Every engagement starts with a confidential intake and a conflict check. The first conversation and a short feasibility check are free; you then receive a defined scope, timeline, and fixed price before work begins. The lead investigator remains your single point of contact, and significant findings are flagged immediately rather than held for the final report.

File for your firm

What you need to justify our engagement internally, in one place:

Licence	Wpbr, POB 1737, verifiable with Justis (Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security)
Company	Nederlands Cyber Recherchebureau (NCRB), Chamber of Commerce 74939742, VAT NL002189118B69
Who does the work	Rik V., licensed investigator since 2019 and your fixed point of contact. Full name at intake and in the engagement letter; conflict check beforehand.
Third parties	Only vetted specialists from a fixed network, under the responsibility of NCRB, under confidentiality and with your knowledge. One contract, one report, one point of contact.
Qualifications	OSC (Open Source Certified, OSMOSIS Association) and Registered Open Source Expert (International Anti-Crime Academy, IACA)
Report	Every finding with source, date and time of capture, screenshot and reliability level. Facts and interpretation kept separate; exculpatory findings included. The investigator gives evidence on method and sources on request.
Complaints procedure	Complaints procedure under Article 18 Rpbr

Frequently asked questions

Can the report be used in court proceedings?

Yes, it is designed for that purpose. Findings carry source, date, and method, so the provenance of every fact can be traced. Whether and how to submit it remains, of course, a procedural decision for counsel.

How quickly can recovery research be delivered?

A first indicative picture is often possible within a few working days; a fully documented report within one to three weeks, depending on jurisdictions and scope. Urgent timelines can be discussed.

Can NCRB act as an independent expert?

We produce substantiated investigation reports and statements that are submitted in proceedings and explain them on request, in writing or at the hearing: which sources, which method, which limitations. Whether NCRB can act as an expert in a specific case is assessed per case, including independence after a conflict check.

Does NCRB give a second opinion on another agency's report?

Yes. We test the method, sources and conclusions of an existing OSINT or blockchain report and document where it convinces and where it falls short. This is regularly requested as counter-expertise in crypto and fraud cases.

How does the GDPR apply to research into an opposing party?

Research into individuals is processing of personal data and requires a legal basis. In a civil context this is typically the legitimate interest of your client. We document the assessment, limit the research to what is necessary, and retain data no longer than needed.