Cryptocurrency fraud is now one of the fastest-growing forms of financial crime, and most victims are told that “nothing can be done” once digital assets leave their wallet. At Edmonds Marshall McMahon, we are specialist crypto fraud lawyers: we specialise in actually recovering stolen cryptocurrency — using civil, criminal and hybrid recovery tools to compel offshore exchanges to disclose, freeze and transfer assets back to their lawful owner.
Using our state-of-the-art Crypto AI Lawyer Bot; we obtain the key facts needed from you, and initiate a Trace and Exchange Co-operation Check, to determine whether the exchange can be compelled to disclose, freeze or transfer the assets back.
Why victims of crypto fraud choose Edmonds Marshall McMahon
We are one of the UK’s most innovative cryptocurrency recovery law firms. We offer results. Not just theory. Most law firms handling crypto disputes stop at injunctions and “advice”. We go further: we recover funds.
Recovering stolen Cryptocurrency: How we succeed where others stop
What distinguishes Edmonds Marshall McMahon from traditional litigation firms, is our ‘intelligence-first’ approach which we enforce with precision and state-of-the-art tools. Our internal crypto-exchange intelligence database enables us to quickly identify whether an exchange will co-operate, what jurisdictional lever is effective, and which procedure (civil vs criminal) is the most appropriate for redress. Where most firms issue claims, we deliver enforcement.
This unique capability is why we secure results internationally, where standard litigation often fails.
Edmonds Marshall McMcMahon offers a unique hybrid approach & capability: civil & criminal prosecution
| Legal route | When we deploy it | Why we deploy it |
| Civil litigation (injunctions, disclosure, trust & proprietary claims) | When assets can be traced to an exchange or service, or the wrongdoer is identifiable | Court disclosure / freezing Orders can compel the return of assets |
| Private prosecution | Where a perpetrator has been identified, there is sufficient evidence to prosecute and it is in the public interest to do so | To achieve justice, retribution, and punishment, and use criminal law powers to identify and recover stolen assets |
| POCA / Criminal property route | Where the particular circumstances of the case mean it is fit for a joint cooperation with the State, and the case meets the criteria within the Proceeds of Crime Act | Cheap, effective and powerful remedy to recover assets, and compel cooperation by third parties holding assets |
| Technical / token-level recovery | Where stolen assets are stored on private un-hosted addresses, and burn/remint or a smart-contract recovery is viable | Recovers value even if tokens are held in non-custodian addresses, without defendant or exchange participation |
Landmark cryptocurrency recovery cases, shaping English case law
The following cases are not merely advisory cases – each resulted in the recovery of the clients assets, not just interim orders.
A v Persons Unknown (2025) – first of its kind, Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
In what is believed to be the first of its kind, EMM worked alongside law enforcement to secure a full recovery under the recently enacted s.303Z51 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) for our client, Mr. A, an 80-year-old man who lost over £520,000 to a sophisticated crypto scam.
Law v Persons Unknown [2023] 1 WLUK 577
The High Court ordered (for the first time) the transfer of crypto assets from an offshore exchange in the Seychelles to the jurisdiction of the English court. The recovered assets were ultimately returned to our client.
Sutton v Persons Unknown (2024)
An elderly victim recovered her entire life savings through a public/private coordinated strategy — proof that offshore non-cooperation barriers can be overcome.
This case is now referenced as a model for future recoveries.
We were involved in the development and one of the first of its kind uses of the burn-and-remint recovery process: a technical recovery model for tokenised and decentralised ecosystems where traditional court processes cannot secure cooperation.
Our step-by-step crypto recovery methodology
We do not begin with proceedings: we begin with intelligence. Our approach is a structured, outcome-driven recovery model: not generic litigation.
1. Intelligence Assessment
- On-chain tracing
- Exchange/jurisdiction mapping
- Exchange co-operation profile check
- Whether POCA, civil recovery or private prosecution is the optimal route
2. Information and/or Preservation
- Disclosure Orders
- Urgent freezing Orders
- Proprietary injunctions
- Data-preservation orders
- Prevention of dissipation
3. Compulsion
- Civil court transfer orders
- POCA transfer powers
- Technical recovery where appropriate
4. Recovery
- Custody transfer to the Court or client
- Cross-border enforcement
- Repatriation strategy
5. Return
- Handover to rightful owner
- Ongoing tracing for residual assets
Who we act for in Crypto Asset Recovery
We act for domestic and international victims whose losses are high-value, complex or offshore-routed. We operate where the scale, complexity or jurisdictional barrier requires specialist enforcement.
| Category | Typical scenario |
| HNW individuals | Sophisticated scam / fake investment platform / offshore exchange obstruction |
| Executives | Private wallet compromise, SIM swap, exchange retention |
| Family offices & UHNW | Large-scale crypto fraud, hacked custody, offshore holding entity disputes |
| Small institutional investors | Frozen assets, blocked withdrawals, unlicensed exchanges |
| Victims misled by “clone” brokers | Assets routed to opaque offshore wallets via Seychelles / BVI |
| Vulnerable or elderly victims | Confidence scams with overseas platforms |
International Crypto Recovery
Crypto fraud is inherently cross-border. We routinely engage with exchanges around the world in:
- Seychelles
- BVI
- Cayman
- EU jurisdictions
- Dubai
- Offshore Asia hubs
The key is not geography: it’s co-operation leverage, which is why our database of exchange compliance behaviours, our contacts and the way we engage gives us a material tactical advantage at the outset.
Collaboration with law enforcement
Where police resources are stretched or delayed, we do not simply “refer” matters, we build a strategy that can run parallel with, or ahead of law enforcement, then intersect at the enforcement stage.
This is why Sutton and the case of Mr A v Persons Unknown are model templates for multi-agency crypto asset recovery.
When to contact Crypto Fraud Lawyers
You should contact expert crypto-fraud lawyers immediately if:
- Your digital assets have been stolen
- Your assets are held in a private address or by an offshore exchange
- You have been told “the exchange won’t co-operate”
- You fear dissipation to a second wallet
- The exchange is unregulated or in an opaque jurisdiction
- The platform claims to be “under investigation” but refuses a release
Start your Crypto Recovery – use our Crypto AI Lawyer Bot
EMM’s state-of-the-art Crypto AI Lawyer Bot will obtain the key facts needed from you, and initiate a Trace and Exchange Co-operation Check, to determine whether the exchange can be compelled to disclose, freeze or transfer the assets back. The assessment requires your time and involvement, but it is rapid – and immediately actionable.
- We map the exchange and jurisdiction profile
- We identify the correct forum of attack
- We obtain disclosure
- We preserve assets
- We compel transfer
- We recover and repatriate assets
Recent successful crypto recovery cases for Edmonds Marshall McMahon.
- Offshore exchange – full recovery. Acting for a claimant who was deceived into transferring his digital assets to a fraudulent crypto trading company that turned out to be non-existent. We worked alongside forensic accountants to trace the stolen assets, before obtaining freezing and disclosure orders and transfer orders against a crypto exchange in the Seychelles. This was a landmark case in the English High Court, setting a precedent for offshore crypto asset recovery, and resulting in a full recovery (Law v Persons Unknown [2023] 1 WLUK 577)
- UK exchange unlawfully retaining assets. Acting for a client in High Court proceedings against a UK-based crypto exchange which had refused to release substantial digital assets to our client or execute payment instructions for over four years and which had converted those digital assets for its own use. We successfully sued the exchange for breach of contract, repeat performance, specific performance, breach of trust, restitution and unjust enrichment. The case successfully settled.
- Elderly victim – life savings restored. Acting for an elderly woman who was scammed into transferring her entire life savings through a fraudulent cryptocurrency platform. We worked alongside law enforcement to secure a landmark decision in June 2024, involving a default judgment and a delivery up order against an overseas exchange, which resulted in the return of her stolen assets (Sutton v. Persons Unknown (2024)). Further details about the case can be found here.
- First of its kind – POCA 2002 – full recovery. Successfully recovering a 77-year-old farmer’s stolen life savings through an EMM-led collaborative strategy involving the police, lawyers, and a major cryptocurrency exchange. This case demonstrates the power of public and private sector cooperation in tackling crypto fraud, offering a potential model for future recoveries. Despite the challenges and rarity of such collaboration, the case highlights the possibilities when innovative strategies are employed to return stolen assets to victims. Further details about the case can be found here.
- Advising a client in relation to legal issues (including the legal status of decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs)) and potential claims arising out of a DeFi protocol and ERC-20 utility token.
What our clients say about us…
“I know I am one of the fortunate few who have managed to recoup a significant amount of their lost funds, and I am deeply grateful to the police, EMM Legal, and Binance for their efforts.”
(Sutton v. Persons Unknown)
Our Crypto Fraud Lawyers specialise in tracing, freezing, and recovering stolen digital assets across multiple jurisdictions. If your cryptocurrency has been lost, stolen or withheld, contact Edmonds Marshall McMahon to begin the recovery process with confidence.
→ Contact our Crypto Fraud Lawyers here. Or contact us at enquiries@emmlegal.com
