Someone who has already lost money to an offshore broker is easy to find. Ads and complaint forms leave a trail. A few days later a polite stranger — call him Felix — may arrive with a stack of PDFs, a video call, and a firm-sounding name such as Barristers For Business.
Companies House does list a UK private company under that title. A company number on a slide is not the same as a verified instruction from a real chambers. Look the firm up yourself on the official register and on the contact details published by the practice, not the ones pasted into chat. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has separately warned that fictitious “law firms” target crypto and investment victims with recovery promises; the pattern is well known even when the brand name looks local.
The reported script is blunt. Option one: send a fresh sum in USDC (or similar) to an exchange “for a short fraud claim”, with a promise of a full return in about a fortnight. Option two: a “proper” court path that will drag on for years and bill per hearing. People who choose the fast track then receive exchange-looking paperwork, a “dispute protocol” with a large Bitcoin figure, and a demand for yet another fee — sometimes dressed up as a blockchain “block” charge that has no ordinary legal meaning. Refuse one payment and the contact stalls, invents travel stories, then vanishes.
Real barristers do not ask you to top up a trading account so they can sue a broker on your behalf. Guaranteed refunds in days, crypto fees to “unlock” a judgment, and urgency after you already lost once are warning signs, not proof of skill. Verify any legal name independently. Do not send a second deposit to free the first.
If this sounds familiar, start at Get help. If someone is already selling a paid “fix”, read Fake recovery before you send another fee.
This article is for general information only. It is not legal or financial advice. Details change. If you have lost money, contact your bank or card issuer and use the routes on the help pages.