What does Countervail do?
Countervail is a veteran-owned, Washington State licensed private investigation agency. We help individuals, businesses, and nonprofits prevent and recover from financially, criminally, or ideologically motivated cyber threats, through ongoing protection, threat intelligence, incident response, fraud recovery, and licensed cybercrime investigations.
Is Countervail a licensed private investigation agency?
Yes. Countervail LLC is a Washington State licensed, bonded, and insured private investigation agency. Agency Principal: Joanna Wiggum · PI License #26010541 · Agency License #DOR00035092 · UBI 606107463.
Will I talk to a real person?
Yes. Every call, text, email, and intake goes to a licensed investigator at Countervail. We don’t use chatbots or a call center. Call or text (509) 393-0896, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 Pacific.
What is Countervail Watch?
Cybersecurity expertise on retainer for individuals. Each membership includes a cyber threat review with a prioritized list of actions to reduce your risk, monthly monitoring for breaches, exposed personal information, and impersonation, and direct access to your investigator. If you’re targeted after you join, Fraud & Scam Recovery is included at no charge under the Financial Recovery Terms. $59/month, or $599/year. See Countervail Watch.
Is Countervail Watch insurance?
No. It’s a membership with monitoring, support, and included recovery or response services. It doesn’t reimburse losses, and we never guarantee recovery of funds.
What do you offer businesses and nonprofits?
Countervail Watch for Business protects organizations of every size from fraud, scams, and ransomware. It includes a business exposure review, monthly monitoring of your domains, impersonation, and official company email accounts, staff training, response planning, and stress testing. Licensed response to financially motivated crime is included: contracted response hours with an annual subscription, or one incident month to month. It complements, and does not replace, a security operations center or technical incident response provider. From $540 per month, priced by employee count, with one month free when you pay annually. See Watch for Business.
How much do your services cost?
Identity Check, $125. Digital Exposure Review, $199. Countervail Watch, $59/month or $599/year. Countervail Watch for Business, from $540/month. Fraud & Scam Recovery, $1,500 flat fee. Private investigations, $1,500 retainer, scoped to the engagement. See our Services & Pricing page.
Can you recover money or cryptocurrency I lost?
No one can promise it. We trace the money, including across the blockchain, support your criminal reports, attribute those responsible where the evidence allows, and identify where institutions failed their compliance obligations. Our findings have helped clients recover stolen funds. Be wary of anyone who guarantees recovery for a fee. Start a recovery intake.
Do you work with law enforcement, banks, and attorneys?
Yes, with your consent. We help you file with the FBI’s IC3 and coordinate with the FBI, CISA, local law enforcement, and your financial institution. We also conduct investigations for attorneys representing fraud victims. Countervail is not a law firm; when you need legal advice, we refer you to a trusted attorney from our network.
What are your hours?
Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 Pacific, excluding holidays. Requests during business hours get a response the same business day; evenings, weekends, and holidays are handled the next business day. If money just moved, call your bank and file at IC3.gov right away. If there is an immediate physical threat, call 911.
What should I do first if money was stolen?
Call your bank or exchange’s fraud line and ask about a recall or freeze. Preserve every message, transaction record, and screenshot. Don’t confront the scammer or send more money, including “fees” to release your funds. File at IC3.gov, then start a recovery intake.
How can I tell a message is really from Countervail?
All payments go to Countervail LLC, either through a secure Stripe checkout link on buy.stripe.com or an invoice on our letterhead. We will never ask for your passwords, recovery codes, or seed phrases, never ask you to install remote-access software, and never ask you to pay in gift cards, cryptocurrency, or by wire to an individual. If something claiming to be us feels off, call (509) 393-0896 before you act.
Do you work outside Washington State?
Yes. Monitoring, threat intelligence, and many investigations can be performed remotely. Private investigation requirements vary by jurisdiction, and we’ll tell you if a matter needs referral or coordination.
How do I start?
Choose a service on our Services & Pricing page, submit a client intake, or contact us. Never send passwords, full account numbers, Social Security numbers, seed phrases, or recovery codes through a form or email.