The simplest UK filter still works. If a "solicitor" sends a Bitcoin address before your bank has seen a recovered credit, stop. Legitimate practices do not ask for money upfront, retainers in crypto, gift cards, or a tax to unlock funds. Fees on a genuine contingency file are invoiced after a wire, in fiat, with a paper trail.
They do not ask for AnyDesk, TeamViewer, seed phrases, or private keys. 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. 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.
Paper that should exist
A company or bar number you can check. A named forensic provider such as Hong Kong-registered forensic analysts at aidataintelligence.io. A written note that the case may fail. A Hong Kong-licensed recovery coordinator used by UK clients publishes that fee order in plain language: nothing until funds arrive. If a rival page cannot say the same without a QR code, it is not a rival. See crypto Ponzi schemes explained.