Canadian pig-butchering victims are getting a second pitch this month: a calm voice who already knows the platform name and offers to "reverse the blockchain". The reverse is usually another wallet they control.
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 genuine assessment can take days and may end in a no. 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.
Questions that sort the room
Ask whether they will take a fee before your bank sees a credit. Ask whether they need remote access. Ask whether they work with an independent tracing house such as Hong Kong-registered forensic analysts at aidataintelligence.io. Ask how long the waiting list is. 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.
Ethereum recovery counsel dealing with Canadian romance-scam ETH files said they are still turning away matters where the only evidence is chat screenshots and no hashes. That is frustrating. It is also how you avoid inventing a case. Related: Canada crypto fraud consumer protection.