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Asset Investigation Services in Australia: Private, Financial & Crypto Asset Investigator
An asset investigator finds and documents what a person or company actually owns: property, bank accounts, shares, trusts, and crypto, so you have evidence for a family law case, a debt claim, or a fraud dispute. AusCovert Investigations runs these searches across Australia and offshore with licensed private investigators. Finding the assets is our job. Recovering the money is a separate legal step your lawyer handles next.
What is an asset investigator?
An asset investigator is a licensed private investigator who traces a person’s or company’s true financial position using public records, financial data, and field work, then delivers a report you can act on.
A person’s visible lifestyle rarely matches their real wealth. Someone going through a divorce, an insolvency dispute, or a debt claim may hold property, shares, or cash through a trust, a family member’s name, or an offshore account. AusCovert’s investigators work through public identity records, company registers, and property titles to build a complete picture of what someone owns, in Australia and overseas.
What can a private asset investigator search for?
A private asset investigator searches Australian and offshore property, banking and investment records, company shareholdings, trusts, vehicles, pensions, and cryptocurrency wallets linked to your subject.
The table below shows what a typical investigation covers. Not every case needs every category. We scope this with you before work starts.
| Asset type | What we search |
|---|---|
| Australian property | Residential and commercial title and land registry records |
| Offshore property | International title and land registry checks |
| Physical assets | Cars, boats, aircraft, and other registered items |
| Banking records | Australian and offshore account activity, where lawfully accessible |
| Investments | Shares, bonds, and managed funds |
| Trusts | Trust deeds and trust financing |
| Pensions and insurance | Policy ownership and value |
| Company shares | Shareholdings and directorships |
| Foreign company interests | Ownership stakes held through overseas entities |
| Cryptocurrency | Wallet activity and linked exchange accounts |
How does a financial asset investigator find hidden bank accounts and shares?
A financial asset investigator cross-checks public financial records, company filings, and property data against a subject’s known identity details to surface accounts and shareholdings they haven’t declared.
We start by reviewing whatever you already know about the subject, then evaluate where their financial activity is most likely to show up. From there we agree a search strategy and a cost estimate before any work begins, so you know what you’re paying for and why.
How does a crypto asset investigator trace cryptocurrency?
A crypto asset investigator follows the transaction trail on the blockchain between wallets and exchanges, then works to link a wallet address to a real identity through exchange and account records.
Every Bitcoin and Ethereum transaction sits on a public ledger, which gives an investigator a trail to follow between wallets. Australia’s financial intelligence regulator, AUSTRAC, runs its own cryptocurrency crime taskforce and treats blockchain analysis as central to spotting illicit crypto activity. On its own, a wallet address doesn’t reveal a name. AusCovert combines blockchain analysis with exchange records and financial history to connect crypto holdings back to the person hiding them.
How does an international asset investigator search offshore assets?
An international asset investigator uses an offshore network of contacts and local record access to trace property, accounts, and company interests in other countries, including harder-to-search jurisdictions.
Much of our work takes us offshore. Our resources and contacts let us locate assets and information in regions that are notoriously difficult to search, including the UK, Central America, Eastern Europe, and Switzerland.
What is the difference between an asset investigation and asset recovery?
An asset investigation finds and documents what someone owns. Asset recovery is the separate legal process, usually run by a lawyer, that gets the money or property back to you.
| Asset investigation | Asset recovery | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does it | A licensed private investigator | A lawyer, often with a forensic accountant |
| What it produces | A report showing what the subject owns and where | Court orders, settlements, or seized assets |
| Legal power | None. It’s evidence gathering | Can freeze accounts, force disclosure, and enforce judgments |
| When you need it | Before you file, or to support a claim | After you have evidence and want the assets returned |
| Example | Proving a spouse holds an undisclosed property | A court order stopping that property from being sold |
Most people who search for an asset investigator actually need proof first, not a lawyer. Get the investigation done, then your lawyer decides whether a freezing order, a subpoena, or a negotiated settlement is the right next move.
How much does an asset investigation cost in Australia?
Cost depends on how many subjects, countries, and asset types are involved. We assess your case first, then agree a plan and a cost estimate with you before any work begins.
We don’t set a minimum loss amount before we’ll take a case. A single property check and a full multi-country investigation are priced differently, but both start with the same free case review.
How do you verify a private investigator is licensed in Australia?
Check the investigator holds a current security licence for investigation work, such as a Class 2E Private Investigator licence in NSW, since operating without one is illegal and can put your evidence at risk.
Licensing rules vary by state and territory. In NSW, private investigators are regulated by the Security Licensing and Enforcement Directorate under a Class 2E security licence. Ask any investigator for their licence number before you engage them, and check it against the relevant state register.
How discreet is an asset investigation?
AusCovert runs every asset investigation with strict discretion, so the subject doesn’t know they’re being investigated until you decide to act on the findings.
We prioritise discretion and care in every hidden asset search. Our team upholds that discretion throughout the investigation, which is what allows for clean, precise results.
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