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Recovery scams: when someone offers to get your lost money back

If someone contacts you offering to recover money you lost to a scam, and wants a fee, your ID or your bank details first, it is a second scam. The FTC says anyone who asks for upfront fees or your financial information to get your money back is a scammer, and the FBI says law enforcement does not charge victims to investigate. The FBI's IC3 never contacts people to ask for money or information. Do not pay, and do not share anything.
Two people's hands at a desk, one holding a pen and the other a printed document
Photo: AymaneJed on Pixabay

If someone offers to recover money you lost

Tap each one as you check it.

Why scam victims get targeted again

Recovery scams go after people who have already lost money. The FTC says the scammers pose as a government agency, a consumer group or a law firm, or even as the company that took your money, now offering refunds. Before anything happens, they ask for a retainer, a processing fee, an administrative charge or a tax.

The FBI's IC3 received 10,516 complaints about recovery scams in 2025, with $1.4 billion in losses, which can include the earlier scam that led to the contact. People 60 and over reported about $540 million of it.

Fake lawyers and crypto recovery firms

The FBI warns that people posing as lawyers from made-up law firms contact crypto scam victims on social media or messaging apps. They may claim to work with the FBI or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and name real banks to sound credible.

They ask for ID and bank details to verify you, ask how much you want to claim, take part of the fee up front with the rest due later, and then ask for back taxes or more fees. Crypto scam victims reported losing more than $9.9 million to these fake law firms between February 2023 and February 2024.

Example. Names and numbers are made up.

Fake FBI agents and fake IC3 websites

In July 2026 the FBI warned that criminals pose as FBI staff to target people who have already been defrauded. Some send links on Facebook Messenger to update an IC3 complaint. Others use AI-generated videos of a senior FBI leader urging people to file reports on a copy of the IC3 website.

The FBI says IC3 does not contact people by phone, email, social media, apps or forums, never asks for payment to recover lost funds, and does not refer people to companies that do. Type ic3.gov into your browser yourself and check that the address ends in .gov.

Signs of a recovery scam

  • They contact you first, out of the blue
  • They already know what you lost
  • They ask for a fee, retainer, tax or deposit
  • They want ID, bank logins or wallet details
  • They claim to work with the FBI or a regulator

What real help looks like

  • You start the contact, using details you found
  • Reports to the FBI and FTC are free
  • Law enforcement never charges victims a fee
  • Your bank talks to you through its own app or number
  • FBI contact can be checked with your local field office

If it already happened

  1. Stop paying. Any new fee, tax or release charge will be followed by another one.
  2. If you paid by card, bank transfer or a payment app, contact that company right away and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed.
  3. If you shared your ID, Social Security number or bank logins, change your banking passwords and get a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
  4. Report the recovery scammer too, including how they first contacted you and what they called themselves, and report fake profiles to the platform's safety team.
  5. If you want to pursue the original scammer, talk to a lawyer you find yourself, not one who contacted you.
  • ReportFraud.ftc.govReport the scam to the Federal Trade Commission.
  • IC3.govThe FBI’s internet crime complaint center, for losses online.
  • IdentityTheft.govIf they got your ID, Social Security number or account details.

Questions

Can a recovery company get my crypto back?
Be very careful. The FBI warns that recovery services which promise results, use vague language or have little online presence are often scams, and no one legitimate needs an upfront fee or your bank login to start.
Does the FBI call scam victims?
IC3 itself does not contact people; local FBI field offices or police handle any follow-up. If someone says they are from the FBI, hang up and call your local field office using a number you look up yourself.
What if they only want to be paid after my money is recovered?
The FBI says fake law firms often take part of the fee up front and promise the rest after recovery, then add taxes or other charges. Any request for money before you have your funds back is a warning sign.
Is it worth reporting a scam if I probably will not get the money back?
Yes. Reports are free, they help investigators link cases, and fast reports of bank transfers sometimes let funds be frozen.

Realr cannot recover money or vouch for a firm. A Realr check only shows that a person is who they say they are, which is not the same as being a licensed lawyer or investigator.

Ask someone to verify

Sources

Checked against the sources above on 17 October 2026. By Manav Sharma, Marketing Team, Realr. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Ask them to prove who they are, before you pay or meet.

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