Finding recovery help you can trust
If you have lost cryptocurrency to a scam, a hack or a locked wallet, you are probably searching for help while feeling anxious and short of time. Unfortunately, that is exactly the moment fraudsters strike again. The crypto recovery industry contains genuine specialists, but it also contains a large number of fake firms set up purely to target people who have already been scammed.
This guide explains how to identify legitimate crypto recovery companies in the UK, the red flags that should make you walk away, and what honest recovery work actually looks like.
Why the recovery industry attracts scammers
Fraudsters keep lists of people they have already stolen from, then approach them posing as recovery experts, law firms or even police units. This second wave of fraud, often called double-dipping, is a known epidemic. Both the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3) and the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority have published warnings about fake recovery services that charge fees and deliver nothing.
The result is a cruel irony: the people most in need of help are the people most likely to be targeted again. That is why verifying any firm before you engage them matters so much. For a broader look at this question, read our blog post on whether crypto recovery services are legitimate.
How to verify a legitimate crypto recovery company
Check UK company records
Any genuine UK business should appear on the Companies House register, which you can search free of charge at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Look at when the company was incorporated, who the directors are and whether its filings are up to date. A company registered last month with an anonymous overseas director should give you pause.
Check the FCA Warning List
The FCA maintains a public register and a Warning List of firms to avoid. If a recovery company appears on the Warning List, or is impersonating a firm that does appear on the register, walk away. Note that consultancy and investigation services are not FCA-regulated activities, so absence from the register is normal; presence on the Warning List is the danger sign.
Test how they communicate
A legitimate firm will have a proper website, a UK contact route and people willing to speak with you before any money changes hands. They will explain their process in plain English, tell you what is realistic in your specific case, and be comfortable with you taking time to decide.
Red flags that a recovery company is fake
- Guaranteed recovery. No legitimate firm can guarantee recovery. Anyone who does is a red flag, full stop.
- Upfront-fee pressure. Demands for large advance payments, especially in cryptocurrency, with urgency attached.
- First contact via social media or Telegram. Genuine firms do not cold-message victims on Instagram, WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Recovery hackers. Claims that a hacker can break into the scammer’s wallet or reverse blockchain transactions. This is not how blockchains work.
- Fake reviews and testimonials. Walls of five-star reviews posted in bursts, often on freshly created profiles, with stories that sound too good to be true.
- Requests for your seed phrase or remote access. Tracing stolen funds never requires your recovery phrase. Anyone asking for it is trying to empty what you have left.
What legitimate crypto recovery actually involves
Blockchain tracing
Cryptocurrency transactions are recorded on public ledgers, which means stolen funds can often be traced from wallet to wallet, sometimes to an exchange where the thief cashes out. Tracing does not return your money by itself, but it creates the evidence that every other route depends on.
Reporting and exchange engagement
Legitimate work includes preparing clear reports for Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting service, and contacting the compliance teams of exchanges where traced funds have landed.
Legal routes
UK courts have granted freezing and disclosure orders over cryptoassets, and the Property (Digital Assets etc) Act 2025 confirmed that crypto is capable of being property under English law. Where funds are traceable and sums justify it, legal action through a solicitor can be a realistic route.
Wallet and technical recovery
Where the problem is lost access rather than theft, such as a forgotten password or a damaged device, technical crypto wallet recovery is a separate discipline with its own realistic prospects.
What Crypto Asset Consultants does, and what we honestly cannot do
We provide UK-based crypto recovery services UK clients can question openly: tracing, evidence preparation, reporting support, guidance on legal routes and technical wallet recovery. What we cannot do is reverse a blockchain transaction, hack anyone’s wallet or promise you a result. If your case is not realistically recoverable, we will tell you so at the start rather than take your money. If you have been defrauded, our crypto scam recovery page explains the process in detail.
Why people choose Crypto Asset Consultants
- A free initial consultation with no obligation to proceed.
- A UK-based team you can actually speak to.
- Plain-English explanations of what is and is not possible.
- Honest assessments, including telling you when recovery is unlikely.
- Discretion and confidentiality throughout.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a crypto recovery company is legitimate?
Check the company on the Companies House register, search the FCA Warning List, and look for a verifiable UK presence. A legitimate firm will explain its process in plain English and will never guarantee recovery.
Do legitimate crypto recovery companies guarantee results?
No. No legitimate firm can guarantee recovery, because outcomes depend on where the funds went and what legal or technical routes are available. Anyone who promises your money back is showing you a red flag.
Can hackers recover stolen crypto?
No. So-called recovery hackers who claim they can break into wallets or reverse blockchain transactions are almost always scammers. Blockchain transactions cannot be reversed by a third party.
Should I pay a large upfront fee to a recovery company?
Be very cautious. Pressure to pay large upfront fees, especially in crypto, is one of the most common signs of a recovery scam. Ask exactly what you are paying for and get it in writing before committing to anything.
What can a legitimate recovery company actually do?
Genuine work includes tracing funds on public blockchains, preparing evidence and reports for Action Fraud and exchanges, supporting legal routes such as freezing orders, and technical recovery where you have lost access to your own wallet.
What We Do
Portfolio Guidance
Our crypto consultants will educate you to invest in the safest and lucrative crypto assets.
Crypto Staking
Staking is a way to earn passive income from your cryptocurrency holdings.
Crypto Reports
We provide crypto portfolio performance reports within our investment packages.
Crypto Tax Planning
Our consultants work alongside with our recommended crypto accountant to plan crypto tax.
Proud to work with the leading crypto exchanges in the UK
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Crypto Asset Consultants provides consultancy, education and guidance. We do not provide FCA-regulated financial advice. Cryptoassets are largely unregulated in the UK and their value can fall as well as rise.