Cryptocurrency Lawyers Against Crypto Scammers

In 2020, Saul Ancona, Esq., a law school student at the time, noticed his phone stopped working. Unbeknownst to him, he was being SIM swapped. His cell phone was restored, but his Coinbase account was completely drained of funds. There wasn’t a single lawyer who would take his case…so he decided to take matters into his own hands. 

Ancona recalled a similar story that happened in 2018, when longtime blockchain expert Michael Terpin was SIM swapped and $24 million was stolen from his cryptocurrency accounts. Terpin famously was awarded $75 million in a civil court case against his scammer. Ancona connected with Terpin’s legal representatives and formed relationships with various mobile carriers. He settled with the mobile carrier who allowed the SIM swap to transpire and began helping other people who’d been SIM swapped too. 

Ancona initially partnered with a forensic accountant who specializes in cryptocurrency tracing and eventually joined Joseph Franco, Esq. to form Coin Counsel to help hundreds of clients to date with cryptocurrency scam cases.

Meet The Team

  • Managing Partner

    Joseph Franco is the Managing Partner of Franco Law PLLC d/b/a Coin Counsel. Joseph graduated the Cardozo School of Law in 2014. From 2014 to 2016, Joseph worked as an associate at Wachtel Missry LLP, where he represented banks and private lenders in real estate secured loans. From 2016 to 2021, Joseph worked as an associate at the Law Offices of David Augenstein, where he represented real estate developers, investors, private lenders and entrepreneurs. In 2021, Joseph founded Franco Law, where he continues to serve clients' real estate and corporate needs.

    In 2023, Joseph expanded his practice into cryptocurrency matters and now represents victims of unauthorized account access, impersonation schemes, investment fraud, digital asset theft, and other forms of cyber enabled financial loss. His work includes complex consumer arbitrations involving unauthorized transfers, security failures, social engineering attacks, systemic risk management lapses, and disputes involving the enforceability of liability waivers in user agreements.

  • Saul Ancona is licensed to practice law in the State of New York. He focuses in the multifaceted areas of cryptocurrency law. A Juris Doctor graduate of Brooklyn Law School, Saul also holds a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Business from New York University. Saul has carved out a niche in SIM swap and cryptocurrency exchange fraud, where he has assisted in significant settlements with industry-leading cryptocurrency exchanges and major mobile carriers.

  • Alice Mosseri is a U.S.-trained legal professional working with Coin Counsel on matters involving cryptocurrency fraud, social-engineering scams, and unauthorized digital asset transfers. She brings prior experience from corporate and digital-focused legal roles, where she advised on complex commercial contracts, digital transactions, compliance, and risk management. Alice holds her J.D. from New York Law School and B.S. from New York University. Alice Mosseri is a U.S.-trained legal professional working with Coin Counsel on matters involving cryptocurrency fraud, social-engineering scams, and unauthorized digital asset transfers. She brings prior experience from corporate and digital-focused legal roles, where she advised on complex commercial contracts, digital transactions, compliance, and risk management. Alice holds her J.D. from New York Law School and B.S. from New York University. Alice joined the firm as a law clerk in 2025.

What is your success rate?

We’ve helped hundreds of clients reach settlements and get compensated for their stolen funds. 

What is your process?

It depends on the type of scam. In many cases, we trace the scammer through the blockchain and pursue the cryptocurrency exchange that allowed the scam to occur. With pig-butchering cases, we try to recover stolen investments from the exchange, or from the scammer themselves. We typically send a demand letter before filing for arbitration.

Am I allowed to pursue the mobile carrier AND the cryptocurrency exchange?

When dealing with a SIM swap scam, we hold both the mobile carrier and cryptocurrency exchange responsible for the scam.

What are the benefits of forensic trace reports?

Tracing a scammer on the blockchain will reveal which wallets received your money and can help us determine if those wallets are held on a crypto exchange or hard wallet. 

Why should I choose Coin Counsel?

We are one of the first firms to help victims get compensated for SIM swapping scams. We’ve forged relationships with many mobile carriers and have leveraged our connections to help clients maximize their compensation. 
Do you need a minimum amount of stolen funds to pursue my case?

We work with clients big and small. There is no minimum amount.