Questions we hear every week

GhostTrace LLC runs live security awareness training for small businesses — the kind cyber insurers now require documented proof of before they'll renew a policy. We also offer supporting services: incident documentation, exposure monitoring, entity & domain due diligence, impersonation documentation, and digital safety reviews, plus scam-response support for individuals. We are a private research firm based in Georgia, USA, serving clients nationwide — fully remote. We are NOT a law enforcement agency, and we do not research individuals.

The FTC Safeguards Rule requires many financial institutions and their service providers — including real estate, title, mortgage, accounting, and insurance businesses — to provide security awareness training to staff. Our live sessions cover phishing, invoice fraud, and social-engineering scenarios, and every session produces the per-employee completion certificates and a completion report your compliance file or insurer can point to. We're not your compliance attorney, so confirm the specifics of your own obligations with one — but the training itself is built around exactly this requirement.

Every session includes a live instructor-led training, individual completion certificates with verifiable IDs (checkable anytime at /verify-certificate), and a completion report formatted for cyber-insurance applications and renewals — the documentation your insurer or a Safeguards Rule audit will ask to see.

In-person is recommended for a team's first session — it's the most engaging format for building real habits. Online works well for refreshers, remote staff, and teams further from Georgia. Both are live and instructor-led either way, not a pre-recorded video.

Foundations ($950 for teams under 10, $1,500 for a full team) is a one-time session and checks out instantly on the Pricing page. For ongoing annual training and documentation, Standard (from $6,000/yr) and Managed (from $15,000/yr) programs scale with larger or multi-department teams — see /pricing for the full breakdown, or book a free assessment and we'll recommend a tier.

Yes. We work with small nonprofits and service organizations on security awareness topics relevant to mission-driven teams and limited budgets.

$950 for teams under 10 (Foundations), $1,500 for a full team, from $6,000/yr for an ongoing Standard program, or from $15,000/yr for a fully Managed program. Foundations tiers check out instantly; Standard and Managed are quoted and invoiced. See /pricing for current numbers.

Do not delete anything, and do not confront the impersonator directly. Screenshot the fake profile (including the URL and timestamp), report it to the platform using their impersonation form, and open a request with GhostTrace so we can build a proper takedown package. Full guide: /impersonation-documentation

First: stop sending money and do NOT delete any messages, even embarrassing ones. Screenshot everything, contact your bank/card issuer for a fraud dispute within 60 days, and — in the US — file at reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov. Then open a request with us so we can organize, preserve, and format the records you have into a package for authorities. Full guide: /scam-response

It's the collection and analysis of publicly available information about businesses, domains, and infrastructure — registration records, DNS data, corporate filings, image metadata. In the United States, this kind of research performed by a private research firm is legal so long as no accounts, systems, or private data are accessed without authorization. GhostTrace uses only lawful, publicly available sources, and we research businesses and infrastructure — not individuals.

Preserve everything (screenshots with URL and timestamp), build a chronological timeline with dates and channels, and package the records with cryptographic hashes so it can't be later altered. GhostTrace's Incident Documentation service organizes all of this into records you can file with whoever you choose. Full guide: /incident-documentation

One-time engagements start at $149 for a Consulting Session, $199 for Incident Documentation or Impersonation Documentation, $249 for a Digital Safety Review, $299 for Entity & Domain Due Diligence or Scam Response, and $399–$799 for Malware Analysis (depending on how complex the sample is). Ongoing monthly plans start at $29/mo (Guardian). See /pricing for full details.

No one can guarantee recovery — that decision belongs to banks, payment processors, and (for crypto) exchanges. What we do is help you organize the strongest possible record so your fraud dispute, chargeback request, or law-enforcement filing is supported by better evidence. Documented, well-sourced requests are much stronger than raw complaints.

Only the platform can remove accounts, and platforms require the affected person to file the report from their own verified account. What GhostTrace does is document the fake profiles you report into a takedown-ready submission that matches each platform's exact policy language — that's the single biggest factor in whether trust & safety teams actually act on the report. See /impersonation-documentation

Standard entity research / scam response requests: 3–7 business days. Incident documentation: 5–7 business days. Malware analysis: 3–5 business days, longer if a sample is complex enough to route to our reverse-engineering research partner, Zenvoris. Rush turnaround (48–72 hours) available for active-harm situations at an additional fee.

No. GhostTrace LLC is a private research and cybersecurity firm. We document, research using publicly available information, and advise. We do not arrest, subpoena, hack, or take enforcement action. For emergencies, contact your local police (US: 911) or the FBI IC3 (ic3.gov).

Start with Have I Been Pwned (haveibeenpwned.com) for a free breach lookup on your email address. If you find yourself in multiple breaches, change any reused passwords immediately, enable multi-factor authentication on important accounts, and consider our Digital Safety Review for a full personal-footprint audit.

Request data and uploaded records are stored encrypted at rest and access is restricted to cleared staff under signed NDAs. Payments are handled entirely by Stripe — we never store card numbers. We retain records only as long as needed for the engagement and applicable legal requirements, and we never sell or share client data with third parties. See /legal/privacy for the full policy.

Yes. GhostTrace LLC carries professional liability (errors & omissions) insurance through Hiscox, an A-rated carrier. A certificate of insurance is available on request for business clients.

We're currently US-focused. Most of the legal reporting steps we point clients toward (FTC, IC3, credit freezes) are US-specific, and we're not set up to take on engagements outside the US right now.

Yes. The /submit-intelligence page accepts anonymous reports with no account required. Trade-off: we can't send follow-up questions or status updates. If you want updates but privacy, use a throwaway email rather than full anonymity.

Email support@ghosttrace.net — replies within one business day. Or open a request through the client portal after creating a free account at /register. For press or partnership inquiries, note 'Press' in your subject line.

GhostTrace is currently founder-led. Daniel Upperman handles casework and investigative decisions directly; contact support@ghosttrace.net for scheduling and general inquiries.