If you've been defrauded online, you're already in a vulnerable position — financially, emotionally, and psychologically. Criminal networks know this, and they exploit it. Recovery scams are a growing category of fraud that specifically targets people who have already been victimized, offering to recover lost funds in exchange for upfront fees that are never delivered upon.
The FTC has documented hundreds of thousands of complaints involving recovery scams. In some cases, victims lose more money to a recovery scammer than they did to the original fraud.
Recovery scammers do not wait for victims to come to them. They monitor fraud report forums, victim support groups, social media posts where people describe being scammed, and even data from the original fraud network (who sometimes sell victim lists to recovery scammers). When you post publicly about being defrauded, recovery scammers may contact you within hours.
Recovery scammers invest heavily in appearing legitimate. They have professional websites, claim to be former FBI agents or cybersecurity professionals, display fake testimonials, and produce forged documentation. Some impersonate real law firms or government agencies. Their pitch is specifically designed to appeal to the desperate hope of getting money back.
Fees are requested in stages. An initial "assessment fee" is followed by "processing fees," "government clearance fees," "insurance bonds," and "tax advance payments." Each fee resolves a fake obstacle and creates a new one. Victims who pay once are identified as good targets for escalating demands.
Eventually contact ceases. The "recovered funds" never arrive. The website goes offline. The victim is left with a second fraud loss on top of the original.
Any legitimate service structures fees after results or under a written contract — never pay to "unlock" a recovery.
Legitimate investigators don't cold-contact fraud victims from forums or social media.
No one can guarantee crypto or wire transfer recovery. Promises of certainty are a scam signal.
Can't find their license number, physical address, or company registration? Do not proceed.
Legitimate services accept traceable payment methods and provide proper invoices.
"Act now or the funds will be released" — artificial urgency is a manipulation technique.
"We have contacts at the exchange" or "our hacker can reverse the transaction" are lies.
Any legitimate investigator or attorney provides a detailed written agreement before starting work.
A real service will evaluate your case at no cost and give an honest probability of recovery.
Licensed PIs have verifiable license numbers. Attorneys are registered with their bar association.
All terms, fees, and scope are defined in writing before any work begins.
Legitimate help comes with honest assessments — including telling you when recovery isn't viable.
Real investigators use blockchain forensics, OSINT, and legal processes — not "hacking."
Bank transfer, card, or invoice — with a receipt. No crypto, no gift cards, no Western Union.
If you've been targeted by a recovery scam, report it separately from your original fraud:
Recovery scammers are specialists in exploiting the psychological state of fraud victims — the mixture of desperation, shame, and hope that follows financial loss. Being targeted a second time does not reflect on your judgment. It reflects on the sophistication of criminal operations that have refined these techniques across thousands of victims.
Act Here only works with licensed investigators. Free initial review — honest assessment, no pressure.
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