One of our strongest recent results came from a case in Edinburgh. The operator, trading as Bristol Assets, had not invented a brand — it borrowed the look and references of an established regulated firm and sold a fixed-term “bond” paying well above market. The client transferred GBP 118,000 in stages before the first promised payout failed to arrive.
Why this one recovered so well
The client contacted us quickly, and the impersonation was provable. We built a strong authorised-push-payment reimbursement claim against the sending bank and traced the converted Bitcoin to an exchange before it could be withdrawn. The bank reimbursed the bulk of the loss and the exchange returned the traced funds.
Clone-firm fraud works because victims believe they are dealing with a name they can trust. If an “established” firm approaches you first and rushes you to transfer, verify it independently before sending a penny. For more documented outcomes, see our case studies.