Recovery scams: targeted a second time

Key takeaways

If someone contacts you offering to recover money you lost to a scam, assume it is a scam.
Real agencies never charge a fee, never ask for payment to release funds, and never guarantee recovery.
Recovery scammers often are, or buy lists from, the people who scammed you the first time. That is how they know the details.
The real routes are free: your bank or card issuer, the FTC, IC3, and your state attorney general.
Asking for an upfront fee to recover money lost to a telemarketing scam is illegal under federal rules.

The cruelest follow-up

You have lost money. You are angry, ashamed, and searching online at two in the morning for any way to get it back. Then someone gets in touch: a "fund recovery specialist", a "cyber investigator", a lawyer, or an agent from a government task force. They know your name, the amount, even the platform you used. They can help. There is just a fee first.

This is a recovery scam, and it is one of the most reliable second acts in fraud. People who have already paid once are, from a criminal's point of view, the best prospects there are.

How it works

They find you. Your details come from the original scammers, who keep and sell lists of people who paid. Others watch forums, comment threads, and social media groups where people post about their losses.
They prove they are real. A professional website, a business registration number, glowing reviews, a government-style logo, a case reference. They may send a convincing "trace report" showing where your money went.
They ask for money first. It is called a retainer, a processing fee, a tax, a court bond, a wallet activation charge, or a percentage due "before release".
They come back for more. The funds are "located" but frozen. One more payment will unlock them. This continues until you stop paying.
Some go further and ask for remote access to your computer or your banking login "to deposit the refund". That gives them everything that was left.

The signs

They contacted you, not the other way round.
They guarantee a result or quote a success rate.
They want payment before anything is recovered.
They want payment by crypto, gift card, wire, or payment app.
They claim a special relationship with the FBI, Interpol, an exchange, or a court.
They ask for your online banking details, a one-time code, or access to your device.
They tell you not to mention them to your bank.

Any one of these is enough.

What the rules say

Under the federal Telemarketing Sales Rule, it is illegal for a company to ask for or accept payment for recovering money lost in an earlier telemarketing transaction until seven business days after the money has been returned to you. A firm that demands a fee first is breaking the rule, which tells you what you need to know about them.

The real routes, all free

Your bank, card issuer, or payment app. This is the only route that can reverse a payment. See how to get your money back, by payment method.
The FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI at IC3.gov. Reports feed investigations. When a case recovers money, refunds are sometimes distributed to people who reported. The FTC lists its real refund programs on its own website and never charges to claim.
Your state attorney general, who can mediate with businesses and sometimes runs restitution programs.
A lawyer you choose yourself, if the loss is large. Find one through your state bar's referral service, not through someone who called you. Be realistic: a lawyer cannot recover money from an anonymous criminal overseas either.

What about tracing crypto?

Blockchains are public, so it is true that transactions can be followed. It is also true that following them is not the hard part. Getting assets back requires identifying a person, a court order or law enforcement request, and an exchange willing and able to freeze an account. A private firm cannot do that by taking your fee. Report the wallet addresses to IC3 and to the exchange you sent from, and keep your records in case a case is opened.

If you have already paid a recovery service

Stop paying. There will always be one more fee.
Contact your bank or card issuer about those payments too. If you paid by credit card, dispute the charge.
If you gave remote access, disconnect the device from the internet, remove the remote access program, run a security scan, and change passwords from a different device.
If you shared banking details, tell your bank so they can watch or close the account.
Report both scams, the original and the recovery, and mention that they may be linked.

Protecting yourself after a loss

Expect contact. For months after a scam, treat any call, email, or message about your loss as suspect unless you started it.
Be careful where you tell your story publicly. If you post in support groups, do not include amounts, platforms, or contact details.
Tell family what to expect, so that a call from a "fraud investigator" to a parent or partner is recognized for what it is.
Let go of the search for a secret solution. There is no private service that can do what banks and law enforcement cannot. That is hard to accept, and accepting it is what stops the second loss.

Common questions

Can a recovery company get my money back from a scammer?

Almost never, and the ones that contact you first are overwhelmingly fraudulent. The FTC warns that people who promise to recover scam losses for an upfront fee are running a scam. Genuine help from your bank, the FTC, the FBI, or your state is free.

How did they know I was scammed?

Often because they are connected to the original scammers, who sell or reuse victim lists. They may also find you through posts in online groups where people describe their losses. Knowing the details of your case does not make them legitimate.

Is a crypto recovery service legitimate?

Treat unsolicited crypto recovery offers as scams. Tracing a transaction on a public blockchain is possible, but getting assets returned requires law enforcement and the cooperation of an exchange, not a private fee. Report to IC3.gov and to the exchange you used.

What if they say they are from the FTC, the FBI, or a court?

Government agencies do not phone people to offer refunds in exchange for a fee, taxes, or bank login details. When the FTC does send refunds from a case, it never requires payment or sensitive account information. Check any claim yourself on the agency's official website.

Official sources and further reading

Published September 21, 2026, last updated September 21, 2026. This guide is general education for people in the United States. It is not legal or financial advice, and it cannot tell you whether a particular message or person is genuine. Spot an error? Tell us.

Recovery scams: how people who were scammed get targeted a second time