TL;DR I paid a contractor 35% upfront and now he's flaking. Found out he's done this to other people as well. I have a decent amount of dox on him, but really just want my money back. Not sure what to do once he officially goes silent.
You won't get your money back. You can report him through. How much did you pay him?
Sue him. It's your only recourse.
>>18481426
I think you go through whatever legal procedure that exists for such situations in your nation, possibly with the help of a lawyer.
Of course you only do that if your nation permits reclaiming expenses related to legal procedures, too, otherwise you're often better off writing the advance money off.