Terms of Use

1. About StonePath Investigations

StonePath Investigations, LLC is a licensed private investigation firm providing investigative, analytical, blockchain-forensic, cryptocurrency-tracing, fraud-related, due-diligence, asset-investigation, and litigation-support services, subject to applicable law, licensing requirements, matter acceptance, and written engagement terms.

StonePath is not a law firm, accounting firm, tax advisory firm, financial advisory firm, investment advisory firm, cybersecurity incident-response firm, cryptocurrency exchange, money transmitter, law-enforcement agency, or cryptocurrency recovery company.

2. Website Information Only

The content on this website is provided for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, financial, tax, accounting, investment, cybersecurity, law-enforcement, or professional advice.

Website content does not guarantee that StonePath can accept your matter, investigate your claim, trace all transactions, identify a suspect, locate assets, support litigation, assist law enforcement, recover funds, or produce any particular result.

You should consult qualified professionals, including attorneys, accountants, cybersecurity professionals, financial institutions, exchanges, or law-enforcement agencies, as appropriate for your specific situation.

3. No Client Relationship from Website Use

Using this website, submitting an intake form, requesting a consultation, sending an email, making a phone call, sending a text message, uploading information, or submitting payment does not automatically create a client relationship with StonePath.

A client relationship is formed only when StonePath expressly accepts the matter in writing and the parties enter into an applicable written engagement agreement, Master Services Agreement, statement of work, service order, signed invoice, or other written authorization approved by StonePath.

StonePath may decline any inquiry or matter at its sole discretion, including due to conflicts, licensing limitations, legal restrictions, incomplete information, suspected misuse, nonpayment, or requests that StonePath determines may be unlawful, unethical, abusive, misleading, or outside the scope of its services.

4. Relationship to Signed Client Agreements

These Terms of Use govern access to and use of StonePath’s website, online forms, general website content, payment pages, and pre-engagement communications.

These Terms of Use are not intended to replace, modify, amend, or override any signed Master Services Agreement, engagement agreement, statement of work, service order, invoice terms, or other written agreement between StonePath and a client.

If StonePath and a client have entered into a signed written agreement for investigative, consulting, blockchain-forensic, litigation-support, or related services, that signed written agreement controls the paid services covered by that agreement.

If there is a direct conflict between these Terms of Use and a signed written agreement between StonePath and a client, the signed written agreement controls for the specific client matter, unless the signed written agreement expressly states otherwise.

These Terms of Use continue to apply to website access, online submissions, website content, intellectual-property rights, prohibited website conduct, payment-page use, and pre-engagement communications to the extent those issues are not directly addressed by a signed written agreement.

5. Investigative Services and Limitations

StonePath may provide investigative and analytical services that include, but are not limited to:

• cryptocurrency tracing and blockchain analysis;
• digital-asset investigation support;
• wallet, transaction, and blockchain activity review;
• fraud-related investigative analysis;
• asset and judgment-related investigations;
• due diligence and background-related research;
• public-records and open-source intelligence review;
• litigation-support analysis and reporting;
• preparation of investigative summaries, timelines, charts, exhibits, memoranda, or reports.

The specific scope, fee, deliverable, timeline, and limitations of any paid service are governed by the applicable written engagement agreement, statement of work, service order, signed invoice, or other written authorization.

StonePath does not guarantee the availability, completeness, accuracy, or usefulness of any particular data source, blockchain label, attribution, platform response, public record, investigative lead, or third-party database.

6. Financial Privacy and No Pretexting

When StonePath’s services involve financial accounts, asset tracing, cryptocurrency wallets, banking information, or related financial records, StonePath uses lawful investigative methods, open-source intelligence, authorized data sources, blockchain records, client-provided materials, and other legally permissible sources.

StonePath does not impersonate account holders, misrepresent its identity to financial institutions, use false pretenses, or use deceptive methods to obtain protected financial information.

StonePath does not access bank accounts, exchange accounts, wallets, devices, communications, records, databases, or private systems without lawful authority, client authorization where applicable, or another legally permissible basis.

7. FCRA and Restricted Use of Reports

StonePath is not a consumer reporting agency.

Unless expressly agreed in writing and handled under a legally compliant framework, StonePath’s reports, findings, communications, and work product are not consumer reports and are not intended to be used to determine any person’s eligibility for:

• credit;
• employment;
• insurance;
• housing;
• tenant screening;
• education;
• licensing;
• benefits;
• or any other purpose regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act or similar laws.

By using StonePath’s website or services, you agree not to use StonePath’s reports, findings, communications, or work product for any FCRA-regulated screening purpose unless StonePath expressly agrees in writing and all legal requirements are satisfied.

8. No Cryptocurrency or Asset Recovery Guarantee

StonePath provides investigative analysis, tracing, reporting, and support documentation. StonePath does not guarantee recovery of cryptocurrency, digital assets, fiat funds, accounts, property, evidence, or losses.

StonePath cannot:

• freeze wallets, accounts, or assets;
• reverse blockchain transactions;
• recover cryptocurrency directly from a wallet, exchange, bridge, protocol, mixer, or third party;
• compel an exchange, platform, bank, wallet provider, or law-enforcement agency to act;
• issue subpoenas, warrants, court orders, preservation demands, or seizure orders;
• arrest suspects;
• provide legal representation;
• guarantee that law enforcement, courts, regulators, exchanges, banks, platforms, attorneys, insurers, or opposing parties will accept or act on StonePath’s findings.

Only courts, law-enforcement agencies, regulators, financial institutions, exchanges, and other legally authorized entities may take certain actions, such as freezing accounts, compelling records, seizing assets, or returning funds.

9. No Guarantee of Outcome

All investigative services involve uncertainty. StonePath does not guarantee:

• identification of a suspect, wallet owner, exchange account holder, or responsible party;
• attribution of a wallet, transaction, account, device, communication, or person;
• location or recovery of assets;
• verification of all client-provided information;
• completeness of blockchain, public-record, commercial-database, or open-source data;
• acceptance of findings by law enforcement, courts, regulators, insurers, exchanges, banks, platforms, attorneys, opposing parties, or third parties;
• any litigation, collection, recovery, settlement, insurance, regulatory, criminal, civil, or business outcome.

Investigative findings may change as new information becomes available.

10. Online Submissions and Client Responsibility

You are responsible for ensuring that all information, documents, screenshots, communications, wallet addresses, transaction hashes, blockchain records, account records, identity information, financial records, police reports, legal documents, and other materials you submit to StonePath are accurate, lawful to provide, complete, and not altered or misleading.

StonePath may rely on information you provide unless StonePath expressly agrees in writing to independently authenticate or verify specific materials.

You represent that:

• you are at least eighteen (18) years of age;
• your purpose for contacting or retaining StonePath is lawful;
• your request does not violate any third party’s rights;
• your request does not violate any restraining order, protective order, injunction, court directive, confidentiality obligation, privacy restriction, or other legal restriction that applies to you or the matter;
• you will use information obtained from StonePath only in compliance with applicable law and any written agreement with StonePath.

You agree not to submit information that you obtained unlawfully, without authorization, through hacking, unauthorized account access, unlawful surveillance, impersonation, coercion, deception, stalking, harassment, or any other improper method.

Do not submit unnecessary sensitive information unless StonePath requests it for a legitimate matter-review or engagement purpose.

11. Permissible Purpose Review

StonePath may request reasonable information or documentation confirming the lawful and permissible purpose of an inquiry or investigation.

StonePath may decline, suspend, or terminate any matter if requested information is not provided or if StonePath determines the matter may involve an unlawful, unethical, misleading, abusive, unsafe, retaliatory, or improper purpose.

StonePath does not request that clients provide privileged, confidential, or legally protected materials unless the client is authorized to do so and, where appropriate, has consulted counsel.

12. Lawful Use Requirement

You may use this website and StonePath’s services only for lawful purposes. You may not use this website, StonePath’s services, reports, findings, communications, or work product to:

• harass, stalk, threaten, intimidate, defame, extort, or retaliate against any person;
• dox, expose, shame, or publicly target a person;
• obtain information for an unlawful purpose;
• access accounts, wallets, devices, records, databases, or communications without authorization;
• evade legal restrictions, court orders, sanctions, compliance controls, or law-enforcement activity;
• commit fraud, identity theft, financial crime, cybercrime, money laundering, or other unlawful conduct;
• misrepresent StonePath’s findings or use them out of context;
• interfere with any investigation, legal proceeding, law-enforcement matter, or regulatory process.

StonePath may refuse, suspend, or terminate communications or services if it believes a request is unlawful, unethical, misleading, abusive, unsafe, or inconsistent with professional standards.

13. Third-Party Sources, Tools, and Platforms

StonePath may use blockchain explorers, blockchain analytics tools, commercial databases, public records, open-source intelligence, social media, exchange-related information, client-provided materials, expert review, vendors, subcontractors, and other third-party sources.

StonePath does not control third-party sources, platforms, vendors, databases, blockchain networks, wallet providers, exchanges, bridges, mixers, protocols, law-enforcement agencies, courts, regulators, financial institutions, or public-records systems.

Those sources may be incomplete, unavailable, delayed, inaccurate, restricted, changed, discontinued, or subject to conflicting interpretations. StonePath is not responsible for errors, omissions, delays, access restrictions, downtime, labeling changes, attribution changes, blockchain network changes, data limitations, or third-party action or inaction.

14. Expert Partners, Consultants, and Subcontractors

StonePath may use qualified employees, contractors, consultants, analysts, vendors, forensic reviewers, or vetted expert partners to assist with investigative, analytical, technical, administrative, or litigation-support work.

Unless expressly included in a signed written agreement, expert-witness testimony, depositions, declarations, affidavits, court appearances, hearings, expert reports, peer technical review, attorney conferences, trial preparation, travel, expedited work, after-hours work, supplemental reports, and post-delivery revisions may require separate fees, retainers, scheduling, and agreements.

StonePath does not guarantee the availability of any particular expert, consultant, subcontractor, vendor, or partner.

15. Reports, Work Product, and Use Restrictions

Unless otherwise stated in a signed written agreement, StonePath’s reports, summaries, exhibits, charts, timelines, findings, communications, and other deliverables are prepared only for the specific client, matter, and purpose identified in the applicable engagement.

You may not modify, edit, misquote, alter, resell, publish, publicly post, distribute, use for marketing, submit out of context, or provide StonePath’s work product to third parties without StonePath’s written permission, except as expressly allowed by a signed written agreement or required by law.

Drafts, preliminary findings, working notes, verbal observations, and interim communications are not final reports and should not be distributed or relied upon as final findings.

StonePath retains all rights in its templates, report formats, workflows, methods, graphics, language, processes, checklists, analytical frameworks, internal notes, and work product, except for any limited use rights expressly granted to a client in a final paid deliverable.

16. No Third-Party Reliance

StonePath’s reports, findings, communications, and work product are intended only for the specific client, matter, and purpose identified in the applicable engagement.

No third party may rely on StonePath’s reports, findings, communications, or work product unless StonePath expressly agrees in writing.

StonePath is not responsible for reliance by non-clients, unintended recipients, opposing parties, public viewers, online readers, platforms, agencies, institutions, or other third parties.

17. Payments, Retainers, Refunds, and Chargebacks

Fees, retainers, hourly rates, flat fees, milestones, expenses, payment schedules, and delivery terms are governed by the applicable written engagement agreement, signed invoice, service order, statement of work, or payment-page terms.

Unless otherwise stated in writing:

• payment may be required before work begins;
• StonePath may pause, withhold, or terminate work for nonpayment;
• investigative services, professional analysis, consultations, digital reports, and custom work product are not automatically refundable;
• dissatisfaction with an investigative result does not entitle the client to a refund;
• failure to recover funds, identify a suspect, obtain law-enforcement action, obtain exchange action, win a lawsuit, collect a judgment, or achieve a desired result does not entitle the client to a refund;
• completed work, consultation fees, expedited fees, research fees, expert fees, vendor costs, database costs, administrative fees, and third-party expenses may be nonrefundable.

For retainer-based engagements, unused retainer funds will be returned after final accounting, subject to the applicable written agreement, earned fees, approved expenses, third-party costs, outstanding balances, payment disputes, chargebacks, legal holds, or other amounts properly chargeable to the engagement.

If you initiate a chargeback or payment dispute after StonePath has performed work, delivered services, incurred expenses, or provided digital deliverables, StonePath may submit relevant engagement documents, communications, invoices, proof of work, reports, access logs, delivery records, and related information to the payment processor, financial institution, or dispute-resolution provider.

StonePath reserves all rights to collect unpaid amounts, including collection costs, attorneys’ fees, and expenses where permitted by law or contract.

18. Cancelling an Investigation

For retainer-based engagements, you may request cancellation by written notice to StonePath.

After StonePath receives the cancellation request, StonePath will stop active work as reasonably practicable, prepare a final accounting of time and expenses incurred, and return any unused retainer funds subject to these Terms and the applicable written agreement.

Cancellation does not affect fees already earned, expenses already incurred, third-party costs, expert fees, vendor fees, legal holds, payment disputes, chargebacks, or other amounts properly chargeable to the engagement.

19. Consultations

Consultations are provided for preliminary informational and matter-assessment purposes only. A consultation does not guarantee that StonePath will accept your matter, produce a report, recover funds, identify a suspect, contact law enforcement, contact an exchange, or provide any particular service.

Information provided during a consultation may be incomplete and may change after further review or investigation.

20. Privacy and Data Security

StonePath may collect information submitted through the website, intake forms, email, phone calls, text messages, consultations, invoices, payment pages, portals, documents, or other communications.

This may include contact information, case information, wallet addresses, transaction hashes, screenshots, financial records, identity information, law-enforcement reports, legal documents, and other materials relevant to an inquiry or engagement.

No website, email system, cloud platform, portal, payment system, or electronic communication method is perfectly secure. StonePath may use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information in its possession, but StonePath does not guarantee that unauthorized access, disclosure, loss, or misuse will never occur.

Additional privacy practices may be described in StonePath’s Privacy Policy. If there is a conflict between these Terms of Use and StonePath’s Privacy Policy regarding privacy practices, the Privacy Policy controls for that issue.

21. Confidentiality and Required Disclosures

StonePath treats client and prospective-client information with care, subject to applicable law, professional obligations, operational needs, and any signed written agreement.

StonePath may disclose information, records, communications, reports, or work product when StonePath believes disclosure is required or permitted by law, court order, subpoena, legal process, regulatory inquiry, law-enforcement request, payment dispute, collection effort, professional obligation, insurance requirement, vendor need, conflict review, threat response, or to protect StonePath’s rights, safety, property, legal interests, personnel, clients, or the public.

StonePath may also disclose information to employees, contractors, consultants, expert partners, vendors, attorneys, insurers, payment processors, technology providers, and other service providers who assist StonePath in operating its business or providing services.

22. Record Retention

StonePath may retain client files, transaction records, work papers, communications, reports, invoices, payment records, intake materials, notes, research, and related information as required or permitted by applicable law, licensing obligations, professional obligations, business needs, insurance requirements, litigation holds, regulatory obligations, dispute resolution, or internal recordkeeping policies.

StonePath may retain records for at least the period required by applicable New York private-investigator record-retention rules and may retain records longer where necessary or appropriate.

StonePath is not obligated to retain all records indefinitely and may delete, archive, destroy, or anonymize records when legally permitted.

23. Law Enforcement, Attorneys, Courts, and Agencies

StonePath may provide clients with investigative reports or documentation that clients may choose to share with attorneys, law enforcement, courts, regulators, exchanges, insurers, financial institutions, or other authorized parties.

StonePath does not guarantee that any law-enforcement agency, attorney, court, regulator, exchange, financial institution, insurer, platform, or third party will review, accept, rely upon, or act on StonePath’s work.

Unless expressly agreed in writing, StonePath is not responsible for filing police reports, submitting complaints, preserving legal claims, meeting court deadlines, initiating litigation, issuing subpoenas, contacting prosecutors, contacting exchanges, or pursuing recovery.

24. Website Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• interfere with the operation of the website;
• attempt to gain unauthorized access to any system, account, database, server, or network;
• upload malicious code, malware, spyware, ransomware, or harmful files;
• scrape, copy, harvest, or extract website content or user information without authorization;
• use the website to send spam, fraudulent inquiries, false reports, or abusive messages;
• impersonate any person or entity;
• misrepresent your identity, authority, purpose, or relationship to a matter;
• violate applicable law or the rights of others.

StonePath may block access, refuse service, preserve evidence, or report suspected unlawful activity.

25. Intellectual Property

The website, including text, graphics, logos, designs, layouts, images, service descriptions, templates, report structures, forms, downloads, videos, branding, and other materials, is owned by StonePath or its licensors and is protected by intellectual-property laws.

You may view the website for personal or internal business purposes related to evaluating StonePath’s services. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, sell, exploit, reverse engineer, or create derivative works from StonePath’s website content, forms, templates, reports, or materials without StonePath’s written permission.

26. Third-Party Links

The website may contain links to third-party websites, tools, articles, platforms, resources, or services. StonePath does not control and is not responsible for third-party content, availability, security, policies, accuracy, or practices.

A link does not mean StonePath endorses, guarantees, or is responsible for that third party.

27. Disclaimers

The website and website content are provided “as is” and “as available.”

To the maximum extent permitted by law, StonePath disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of accuracy, completeness, reliability, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, availability, and security.

StonePath does not warrant that the website will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, virus-free, current, complete, or available at all times.

28. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, StonePath, its owners, members, managers, employees, contractors, consultants, analysts, expert partners, vendors, agents, representatives, successors, and assigns shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, punitive, or lost-profit damages, including loss of funds, loss of cryptocurrency, loss of digital assets, lost recovery opportunity, lost business opportunity, reputational harm, emotional distress, third-party action or inaction, platform inaction, law-enforcement inaction, exchange inaction, or litigation outcome.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, StonePath’s total liability for any claim arising out of or related to this website, online submissions, payment-page use, pre-engagement communications, website content, or these Terms of Use shall not exceed the greater of:

• (a) the amount actually paid by you to StonePath for the specific service giving rise to the claim; or
• (b) one hundred dollars ($100), if no paid client service is involved.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability. In those jurisdictions, StonePath’s liability is limited to the greatest extent permitted by law.

29. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless StonePath, its owners, members, managers, employees, contractors, consultants, analysts, expert partners, vendors, agents, representatives, successors, and assigns from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, demands, subpoenas, investigations, penalties, costs, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of or related to:

• your use or misuse of the website or services;
• information or materials you provide to StonePath;
• false, misleading, incomplete, altered, unauthorized, or unlawful information you provide;
• your violation of these Terms of Use;
• your violation of applicable law or third-party rights;
• your misuse, alteration, publication, or distribution of StonePath’s reports or work product;
• your use of StonePath’s services for an unlawful, abusive, retaliatory, harassing, or unauthorized purpose;
• your use of StonePath’s reports for any FCRA-regulated purpose without written authorization and legal compliance;
• disputes between you and any third party.

30. Suspension or Termination

StonePath may suspend or terminate website access, communications, consultations, or services at any time where permitted by law, including for nonpayment, suspected misuse, abusive conduct, unlawful requests, conflicts, incomplete information, false information, security concerns, or violation of these Terms of Use.

Termination does not eliminate your obligation to pay amounts owed, protect StonePath’s work product, comply with report-use restrictions, or satisfy indemnity and confidentiality obligations.

31. Changes to These Terms

StonePath may update these Terms of Use from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this website with a revised “Last Updated” date.

Continued use of the website after updated Terms are posted means you accept the updated Terms for website use going forward.

For paid services, the terms in a signed engagement agreement, Master Services Agreement, statement of work, signed invoice, or service order may control over these Terms of Use where they directly conflict.

32. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, any dispute arising out of or related to these Terms of Use, website use, online submissions, payment-page use, or pre-engagement communications shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in New York, and you consent to personal jurisdiction and venue in those courts.

StonePath may seek injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to protect confidential information, intellectual property, work product, report-use restrictions, or legal rights.

33. Severability

If any provision of these Terms of Use is found invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect. The invalid provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, if permitted by law.

34. Contact

Questions about these Terms of Use may be directed to:

StonePath Investigations, LLC
Website: www.stonepathinvestigations.com
Email: Contact Us