How-to guide
Recovery scams: why "we can get your money back" is a trap
Losing money to a scam makes you a target for a second one. "Recovery" scammers contact victims promising to retrieve lost funds — for an upfront fee. They take the fee and vanish.
How recovery scams work
- They find victims on social media, forums, or from leaked "sucker lists".
- They pose as a recovery agency, lawyer, or even a government task force.
- They promise to recover your funds — for an upfront fee, "tax", or "deposit".
- They may show fake "progress" to extract more before disappearing.
The reality
No legitimate service guarantees recovery of scammed crypto or money for an upfront fee. Real fund recovery goes through your bank, card issuer, or law enforcement — never a stranger who contacted you. Report the original scam to the FTC and IC3 instead.
Frequently asked questions
Can a service really recover scammed crypto?
Almost never, and anyone guaranteeing it for an upfront fee is running a second scam. Crypto transactions are irreversible; report to IC3 and your exchange instead.
A "recovery agent" contacted me — is it real?
If they reached out to you, treat it as a scam. Legitimate help does not cold-contact victims promising guaranteed recovery for a fee.