Australia and Canada
Crypto scams people in Australia and Canada describe
This page is about the shape of the scam, not the promise of a refund. The readers who search it are mostly in Australia and Canada. The solicitor who reads the enquiry is in England. The work is in English. We do not practise Australian law or Canadian law. If a court in either country is required, a lawyer there is instructed, with your written agreement first.
The patterns that keep arriving
- A fake exchange or broker. Small withdrawals work, then a tax, a fee, or a deposit appears, and the site goes quiet.
- A long chat, sometimes a romance, that ends on a trading screen. People call the long version pig butchering.
- Phishing, a SIM swap, or a takeover of an account you really did open.
- A second approach, days later, from someone offering recovery if you pay first, or if you hand over a seed phrase.
In Australia, report to Scamwatch and ReportCyber, and tell your bank. In Canada, report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and to local police. Then keep the transaction IDs. The page on crypto scam recovery is the Australian follow-up: what a solicitor can look at after the report exists.
If the platform name is one we have already seen, we will tell you. That can change how the file is read. It does not make a result more likely, and it does not make it quicker.
The plain terms
Harvey Kaye is the solicitor at RVK Legal Services Limited, a firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. SRA ID 8009455. His own SRA number is 609496. He was admitted on 15 March 2017. The work is done in English.
You pay nothing to start, and nothing if nothing comes back. If money reaches your bank, by a settlement or through a court, the fee is 12.5% of what you receive. In a typical matter that is the only charge from this firm. We sign a written agreement before we act for you. Sending a form does not start that agreement.
We never ask for a seed phrase, a private key, a password, or remote access to your phone or computer. If someone does, and uses our name, it is not us.
We cannot take clients who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States, Germany, Italy, or France.
Questions people ask
Is a crypto scam the same as a lost wallet?
No. A scam is money you were persuaded to send, or coins taken by someone else. Lost access is a wallet or account you cannot open. The review asks which one you have.
Do you act for both Australia and Canada?
Yes, in English, as a solicitor of England and Wales. Local court work is done by a local lawyer you agree to first.
What if the helper who called me wants a fee up front?
Treat that as a second scam. Do not pay, and do not send a seed phrase. Keep the messages.