Recovery Scams Target Scam Victims with False Hope

So you’ve been scammed. It’s a terrible experience with far-lasting consequences, both material and emotional. And if you lost a lot of money – or if you didn’t have much money to lose in the first place – the financial consequences could be devastating. So when you hear about a service or expert who can help you recover your lost money, you’re filled with hope. You can’t undo the scam, but you can undo the financial losses, right?

Not so fast! Scammers don’t care about anything but their next payday, and they’re not above taking money from you after you’ve already been scammed. Recovery scams target scam victims to steal even more. Don’t become a victim a second time! Read on to learn how these scams work and how you can avoid them.

How Recovery Scams Work

A recovery scam takes advantage of your pain and loss after being a victim of a scam. They offer false hope of getting back whatever you’ve lost or fixing the damage to get you on the hook. By promising you they can help you recover from the scam, they get you to go along with what they want. But you end up with nothing but more losses.

Here’s how these scams work.

1. Scammers find a Scam Victim

Maybe you posted online about your experience being scammed. Maybe they have fake profiles infiltrating scam victim support groups on social media. Or maybe they bought ads on terms like “scam recovery” that you typed into a search engine. Sometimes, scammers even buy lists of people who fell for scams from other scammers.

However they found you (or you found them), they know two things. One, that you’ve been a victim of a scam, and two, that you’re interested in getting back what you lost in that scam. With that, they have their opening.

2. The Recovery Scammers Contact Victims

What this initial contact looks like can vary a lot. If they found you from an online post or a social media group, they may send you a message or comment on your post. If they have your phone number or email address, they may call or email you directly. Or if you found them through a fraudulent ad, they may have contact information set up and wait for you to contact them.

Whatever method they use, they generally tell one of two stories. They may pretend to be a happy customer. In these cases, they’ll refer you to someone else they promise can help, and will gladly tell you how this person or service helped them after they were scammed. Or they may skip directly to pretending to be the scam recovery service or expert immediately. In some cases, they’ll even claim to put you directly in contact with the FBI’s scam-fighting force. No matter the way there, you’ll end up talking with someone who promises they have the skills and expertise to recover what you’ve lost.

3. They Close the Deal

The scam recovery “expert” you talk to often sounds impressive. They may use a lot of technical jargon to sound like they know what they’re talking about. Or they may tell stories of huge losses recovered, dramatic raids on scammers, or anything else they think you want to hear. Sometimes they’ll even refer to details of the scam you encountered to sound more legitimate. They may even claim that they’ve caught the scammers and can give you everything back right away. They’ll do everything they can to give you hope and get you to trust them.

Once they have you on the hook, then they make their ask. You have to pay some sort of fee or deposit for them to do the work hunting the scammers or to get your recovered assets returned. They may also ask for personal information – like passwords, banking details, or identity info – to help with their investigation. They’ll assure you it’s routine, or part of the process, or that they really can’t help you without it. By this time, they’ve often built up enough trust and hope that you’ll hand over whatever they want happily.

4. They Disappear

The scammers have what they want. They got the money you gave them for their fraudulent fee. If they asked for information, they may also have access to your bank or credit accounts or enough personal data to steal your identity. And they never had any intention of helping you. As soon as they have what they want, they disappear. Any fees you paid are gone, any accounts they accessed are drained, and any personal information you gave them is going into identity attacks. Not only have you not recouped your losses from the original scam, you’ve lost even more to a recovery scam.

Types of Recovery Scams

While recovery scams generally follow this same basic function, there are a few different ways they can manifest. Here are some of the most common.

Money recovery: You lost money to a scammer. They claim they can get it back. Often they claim to be a law firm, with law enforcement, or someone else with legal credentials. These frequently ask for both personal info for the “investigation” and a fee for their services.
Crypto recovery: If the initial scam involved cryptocurrency, crypto scam recovery fraud might target you. Scammers love crypto because it’s untraceable and irreversible. They’ll ask for your wallet details and seed phrase to send your lost crypto back, and instead they’ll take everything else in your wallet. Often they also charge fees that you have to pay in crypto.
Account access recovery: If you lost an account because a scammer took it over, recovery scams may claim they can get you access back. These scams tend to ask for fees more than personal information.
Stolen vehicle recovery: A unique type of recovery scam in that the original crime wasn’t a scam, but a vehicle theft. Scammers call victims and claim they’ve located the stolen vehicle, but they have to pay an administrative, arrangement, or delivery fee to get it back.

Does Real Scam Recovery Exist?

There are real scam recovery companies out there. But often, these companies don’t work with individuals. Instead, they work with law enforcement and courts, using their expertise to help investigate and recover what they can. There’s no guarantee that they’ll ever get anything back.

Some real companies do work with individuals. But they tend to work on commission – meaning they investigate and recover what they can, but they keep a portion of whatever they recover. So they’re not going to accept most people’s cases. Even if you’ve lost several thousand dollars, the commission they’d get from that isn’t enough for them to justify the time to help you. These companies mostly work with people who have lost millions.

Finally, there are some real companies that aren’t outright recovery scams, but they are shady. These companies often charge you for things you could do yourself for free. Their services often include contacting your bank, contacting account support, or reporting the scam. These companies also tend to make big promises that they can’t fulfill.

Signs of a Recovery Scam

Whether you’re looking at scam recovery companies yourself or someone reached out to you about it, beware of these signs that it could be another scam.

Reaching out to you. Real scam recovery companies won’t contact you personally.
Suggested by a stranger. Scammers love targeting victims on social media this way.
Contact through social media. No real professional would communicate with clients through social media.
Promises or guarantees. Recovery is never guaranteed. If they guarantee it, they’re trying to trick you.
Offering more than you lost. That doesn’t happen. Nobody recovers more than they’ve lost.
Fees up front. Real companies are paid through law enforcement or work on commission.
Asking for personal info. No real company needs your passwords for their investigation.
Vague services. If they’re evasive, won’t give a direct answer, or offer a lot of buzzwords when you ask what exactly they’re going to do for you, be suspicious.
Crypto transaction reversals. These are impossible. If they say they can do it, that’s a scam.
Unprofessional. If they claim to be a real company but don’t have a valid website, email, phone number, or registered office, they’re probably fake.
Asking for secrecy. No legitimate company would care if you told people you’re working with them.
Pressure and urgency. Common signs of a scam. If you feel rushed or pressured, beware.
Law enforcement charging you. Real police and government authorities don’t charge fees.
Federal agents calling or emailing. Real federal agents won’t contact you by phone or email without sending you a letter in the mail first.
Weird payment methods. Asking for their fee in unusual payment methods like Venmo, crypto, wire transfer, or gift cards is a warning sign of a scam.

What to Do Instead

If you get caught in a scam, recovery scams sound a lot better than the real deal. Recovery scammers promise they can get back what you lost, or sometimes even more, and it will happen quickly. The real process offers a timeframe that could take years or longer, with no guarantee you’ll get anything back at the end. It’s easy to see why scam recovery scams are so appealing.

But don’t get caught. Even though it’s less exciting, dealing with genuine scam reporting and recovery processes is the way to avoid losses to recovery scams and potentially get some of your losses back in the future.

When you first realize you were scammed, contact wherever you sent the money (your bank, the payment app, the phone number on the back of the gift card, etc.). There may not be anything they can do, but at least report it to them. Then report it to law enforcement and fraud tracking organizations. We have a guide on where to report here: The WhatIsMyIPAddress.com Report-a-Scam Resource.

If anybody claims they can get your money back, use caution. Search their name or company name with “scam” or “fraud” to see what comes up. Always get a second opinion before sending money or info. Someone with a little distance from the situation may spot red flags that you missed. And before you engage any recovery service, talk to a legal or financial advisor for guidance.