Civil fraud claims for Canadian residents

We open files in two categories — both rooted in online investment loss:

• Investment-platform fraud: Fake brokers, refusal-to-withdraw platforms, Ponzi-style "investment" shells, binary options, forex trading scams, fake "advisor" outreach.
• Cryptocurrency fraud: Fake exchanges, fake DEX front-ends, rug-pulled tokens, ICO scams, wallet-drain schemes, crypto-romance ("pig butchering") losses where the funds went on-chain.

Case-floor minimum is $3,000 CAD in lost funds. Online-shopping disputes, business email compromise, identity-theft cases, and fake-loan schemes fall outside our scope — we work exclusively in online investment loss and cryptocurrency-related claims. Where another counsel is a better fit, we refer.

We assess three things during the free first review:

• Documentation quality — transaction records, platform communications, on-chain evidence
• Timing relative to the loss — chargeback windows, exchange cooperation timelines, statute considerations
• Whether the path the funds took leaves a realistic civil-fraud or chargeback route worth opening

If the file qualifies under our scope and the path is realistic, we open it with a written engagement letter setting out scope and fees. If not, we say so in the written first-review reply — with a referral where another counsel is the better fit.

The first review is free — a 48-hour written reply, no retainer.

If we open the file, scope and fees are agreed in a written engagement letter before any work begins. We don’t quote a single percentage of "recovered funds" — specific costs depend on the path the file takes:

• Chargeback work with payment processors
• Civil-claim drafting and filing
• Cross-border tracing and asset-freeze applications
• Expert evidence (blockchain forensics, regulated-exchange disclosure)

Disbursements — court filing fees, third-party forensics invoices, expert reports — are passed through at cost, with prior approval over a stated threshold. The engagement letter lays out the expected line items so there are no surprises after the file is opened.

Recovery timelines vary based on case complexity:

• Credit card chargebacks: 30-90 days
• Bank transfer recalls: 1-4 weeks (if caught early)
• Simple domestic cases: 3-6 months
• Complex international cases: 6-18 months

We begin working immediately upon retainer and keep you informed throughout the process with regular updates. Emergency asset freezing can happen within 1-3 weeks.

Yes — most of our files involve a cross-border element. Funds rarely sit in the same jurisdiction the platform marketed itself from.

What that actually looks like in practice:

• Mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) requests where the loss crosses a treaty partner
• Asset-freeze orders pursued through Canadian and counterpart courts
• Blockchain tracing where the funds went on-chain
• Coordination with regulated exchanges to flag and hold incoming transfers
• Civil-claim filings in the destination jurisdiction where the recovery path is realistic enough to justify the cost

We’ve handled files involving platforms operating out of Cyprus, the UAE, Hong Kong, the UK, and the EU. Where the path isn’t realistic, we say so — in writing, before you engage.

To evaluate your case effectively, please gather the following information:

• Transaction records: Bank transfers, credit card statements, cryptocurrency transactions
• Communications: Emails, WhatsApp messages, SMS, social media chats
• Documentation: Contracts, investment agreements, platform screenshots
• Account information: Wallet addresses, account numbers, platform usernames
• Scammer details: Names, websites, phone numbers, email addresses
• Timeline: Dates of transactions and communications

Don't worry if you don't have everything - we'll guide you through gathering the necessary evidence.

Yes — earlier contact generally leaves more options open. Concretely:

• Card-network chargeback windows are typically 60–120 days from the transaction, depending on the network and the dispute reason
• Bank-transfer recall is realistic only in the first weeks, before the funds are layered out
• On-chain funds become harder to follow once they pass through mixers, bridges, or non-cooperative exchanges
• Witnesses, platform employees, and counterparties become harder to locate as time passes

That said, we’ve opened files months after the loss where the documentation was strong enough to justify a civil-fraud claim. The honest answer at intake is — we’ll tell you in writing whether the path is still realistic, given how much time has passed. If it isn’t, we say so; we don’t open files we don’t expect to move.

No — and any practice that does should be a red flag. Civil-fraud outcomes depend on documentation quality, the path the funds took, the jurisdiction the counterparty operates from, and how cooperative the relevant payment processors or exchanges turn out to be — none of which can be guaranteed at intake.

What we do commit to:

• An honest first review in writing — if the path isn’t realistic, we say so during the free review, not after a retainer
• Scope and fees set out in a written engagement letter before any work begins, not verbally
• A best-estimate timeline alongside the engagement letter, with regular written updates as the file moves

Where we don’t see a realistic path, we refer to other counsel rather than open a file.