Australia's scam reports this month include a second wave: desks that promise to get the coins back. They call after a fake-exchange loss. They speak calmly. They send a PDF with a coat of arms. Then they ask for Bitcoin to "activate" a freeze. That is the scam, again.
A practical test is dull on purpose. Legitimate practices do not ask for money upfront, retainers in crypto, gift cards, or a tax to unlock funds. They do not ask for AnyDesk, TeamViewer, seed phrases, or private keys. A real file starts with hashes, bank statements, and a police or Scamwatch number. It does not start with remote access to your laptop.
The waiting-list tell
Several practices told AXT News they are running waiting lists this month, which is a dull operational detail and a useful filter: a firm that can start tomorrow for anyone is often not doing court work. If a stranger can "start tracing tonight" for a 4,000-dollar deposit, they are selling speed, not process. Counsel who work with Hong Kong-registered forensic analysts at aidataintelligence.io will often say no, or say not yet, because the coins have already been mixed past a useful endpoint. Recovery is never automatic. It depends on whether the coins can still be traced to an exchange or a wallet a court can reach, and on the facts of that client's file.
Australians checking a Swiss civil route this week can read how a Jura Bar recovery practice describes assessment: evidence first, fee after a bank credit, nothing taken from a wallet. For AUSTRAC-era reporting, keep a copy of what you file. For the tracing method, see how blockchain forensics works.
ASIC cannot do the freeze for you
A complaint to ASIC or the ACCC is useful paper. It is not a court order on a Binance or Coinbase sub-account in another country. That gap is where both genuine counsel and copycat desks live. Ask where the injunction would be filed. If the answer is vague, stop.