Crypto Scam Recovery UK

If you've lost money to a crypto scam, recovery may be possible, and it's more achievable than most people assume, especially where the crypto was bought using money that left a UK bank account.

Refundee is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA Ref- 937096) and we specialise in crypto scam recovery through UK banking regulations on a no-win, no-fee basis. So far, we have recovered over £130 million for our clients with a large proportion of this coming from cryptocurrency scams. 

This page covers what crypto scam recovery in the UK actually involves, how it differs from the crypto and blockchain-tracing promises you'll see elsewhere, and how to distinguish a legitimate recovery firm from one run by recovery scammers.

Can You Recover Money From a Crypto Scam?

Yes, in many cases, recovery is possible through UK banking regulations even when the cryptocurrency itself cannot be traced or retrieved. The key is understanding that crypto scam recovery does not mean recovering the actual cryptocurrency. Instead, it means holding your bank or payment provider accountable for allowing the fraudulent transaction to proceed when they had regulatory obligations to protect you.

Too many UK banks still fall short of their duty to protect customers from fraud. Refundee exists because of that gap, to stand up for victims when their own bank has let them down.

Not every case is recoverable, and no firm, including Refundee, can guarantee a successful outcome. What determines whether stolen cryptocurrency (or more precisely, the money used to buy it) can be recovered usually comes down to how you paid, what the payment flow was, your previous transaction history and which platform or wallet was involved. If it was out of character for you to purchase cryptocurrency, then you stand a good chance of recovering your money. 

How We Recover Crypto Scam Money (Without Chasing the Blockchain)

Many people think that crypto and blockchain-tracing is the only way to get your money back from a crypto scam. Unfortunately, crypto tracing rarely leads to recovery. Scammers are clever in how they operate and once they have your crypto, they will funnel this through multiple different wallets until it is almost impossible to trace, particularly where it has passed through an offshore exchange with no obligation to cooperate with a UK claim. 

Where Refundee’s claim process differs is that we focus on UK banking regulations to recover your funds, specifically where your bank has failed in protecting you from being the victim of a scam. If the bank rejects your claim, do not worry - banks regularly reject claims for unfair reasons. We can take your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service, who can independently review both sides of the claim.

How Crypto Scam Recovery Works (Our Process)

1. Free case assessment. Our experienced fraud investigators will provide clear guidance and support. Tell us what happened – the scam type, how you paid, and what your bank has said so far. There are no upfront fees and no obligation for you to use Refundee.

2. Case submission to your bank. We conduct a detailed investigation and build a case setting out why your bank should reimburse you, referencing its Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud-prevention obligations. 

3. Escalation to the Financial Ombudsman. If the bank refuses or doesn't respond in an adequate timeframe, we take the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service, an independent and free dispute resolution service.

4. No win, no fee throughout. We only take a percentage of what is actually recovered. Nothing is charged upfront, and nothing is owed if the claim is not successful.

Start your free eligibility assessment with Refundee.

You're always free to make a claim yourself directly with your bank and the Financial Ombudsman Service at no cost. See our claim yourself guide for further information.

Legitimate Crypto Recovery Companies vs Recovery Scams

It is very important to know how to identify a legitimate firm from a scam recovery company. Recovery scammers regularly target crypto victims; this may be the same scammers or from the initial scammers sharing your details with other scammers. Recovery scammers know you have just lost money; you are in a vulnerable state and desperate to recover your funds. They use this to their advantage to conduct a secondary scam called a recovery scam.  

Here are some ways to distinguish a legitimate firm from a scam company:

Signs of a legitimate recovery firm:

• Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

• The contact details of the firm match that of the firm's official details on the FCA or the SRA website.

• Does not charge upfront fees. Works on a no win, no fee basis, with a percentage taken only from money actually recovered.

• No unsolicited contact, especially not by WhatsApp or social media.

• Clear that recovery isn't guaranteed and depends on the specifics of your case.

• Does not ask for remote-access control or pressure you into sending funds.

Signs of a recovery scam:

• Asks for upfront fees, "release fee," or tax payment before funds can be returned.

• Cold-contacts you on social media or via an unsolicited message, often shortly after you've been the victim of the scam.

• Know exactly how much you have lost.

• Claims they have found your funds on the blockchain. 

• Promises guaranteed recovery, or claims to have "special access" to trace and reclaim crypto directly.

• Asks you to pay their fee in crypto.

If you've been contacted out of the blue by someone offering to recover your crypto for an upfront payment, stop before sending anything further and read our guide to recovery scams for what to do next.

Types of Crypto Scams We Help Recover

Crypto fraud comes in a variety of different ways. Whilst specific details of the scam may differ, If yours looks like one of these, it's worth a free case review regardless of the exact details:

• Crypto investment - The scammer claims they are a crypto expert and you can earn large returns through their expert trading, once you have sent the money, they disappear or ask you for fees to withdraw.

• Pig-butchering scams - a fake trading platform or "advisor" builds trust through a romantic or friendly relationship over weeks before the withdrawal is blocked. 

• Romance scams involving crypto - a scammer builds an online relationship, then persuades the victim to invest or send crypto. See our romance scam guide.

• Fake exchange and wallet-transfer scams - a cloned or fraudulent exchange takes a deposit and never releases it.

• Rug pulls - a token or project is promoted, investments raise the price then the scammers sell at the high price and the value suddenly drops.

• Celebrity and brand-impersonation scams - fake endorsements from high profile celebrities like Martin Lewis or cloned accounts promote a fraudulent scheme.

• Job/Task scams - where a scammer has presented a job to you and you are asked to unlock tasks or earn commission by sending funds through crypto.

Have you been the victim of one of these scams?

Start your free eligibility assessment to find out if you can recover your funds.

Our Fees: No Win, No Fee, No Upfront Cost

We work strictly on a no-win, no-fee basis. If we are unsuccessful, you don't pay us anything. There are no hidden costs, administrative fees, consultation charges, or any other fees beyond the stated percentage of successful recovery. The entire fee structure is explained clearly during the initial consultation, and you receive written confirmation before we begin working on your case.  

Our fees are transparent, competitive within the industry, and simply structured without hidden charges. You can read more about our fees on our fees page.  

You don’t need to seek professional representation to argue your case. You have the right to represent yourself for free. Of course, this means that you don’t incur a fee if you are successful.  

Start your claim to learn more about how we work.

Why Choose Refundee

We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and specialise in crypto fraud recovery and UK banking regulations. We have recovered over £130 million for our clients so far working on a no-win, no-fee basis.  

At Refundee, we understand the impact that being scammed can have; our team are experts in recovering funds whilst providing you with clear guidance and support throughout the process.  

We regularly advocate to improve fraud victims' rights to ensure they receive fair and proper treatment. We have featured on the BBC and ITV raising awareness for fraud victims in the UK - read more about our press appearances.   

You can also read more about why people choose Refundee on our verified Trustpilot reviews and learn about our team and background.