Recovery Scams: When 'Fund Recovery Experts' Target Scam Victims Twice
After a scam, fake recovery agents, hackers and 'government' officials promise to get your money back for a fee. Here's how recovery scams work and how to spot them.
If you've lost money to a scam, you're now on a list. Recovery scammers buy those lists and contact victims promising to get the money back — for a fee.
Search the recovery company, website or agent
How recovery scams look
- A "law firm" or "asset recovery" company emails or messages you out of nowhere.
- A "certified ethical hacker" on Instagram or Telegram says they can reverse crypto transactions.
- Someone claims to be from the FBI, FTC, Interpol or a court, saying your money was found and you must pay a release fee or tax.
- Fake reviews and "success stories" flood search results for the original scam's name.
Red flags
- Guaranteed recovery.
- Upfront fees, especially in crypto or gift cards.
- They already know details of your loss.
- They ask for remote access to your computer or your wallet's seed phrase.
Why this matters even years later
The FBI has repeatedly warned that victims of tech-support, investment and romance fraud are re-targeted by fake recovery services. The same contact details can resurface for years — which is why we keep them searchable.
What actually helps
Report to ic3.gov and reportfraud.ftc.gov (free), contact the exchange or bank you sent from, and report the recovery agent here. Read more: crypto recovery scams, pig butchering guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can a company really recover my scammed crypto?
No private company can force a crypto transfer back. Only law enforcement and exchanges can freeze funds. Anyone guaranteeing recovery for an upfront fee is running a recovery scam.
Does the FBI charge a fee to recover money?
Never. The FBI and FTC do not charge fees and will not contact you to ask for payment to return lost money.
Where do recovery scammers find victims?
They buy 'sucker lists' from the original scammers, post fake reviews under scam-related search terms, and reply to victims who post publicly on social media.