Recovery scams: when someone offers to get your money back

Losing money to a romance scam is painful enough. Then, sometimes weeks or months later, a message arrives that seems like the first good news in a long time: a law firm, a "fraud recovery service" or even a government office says it has traced your money and can get it back. There's just a fee to pay first.

This is a recovery scam, and it's aimed squarely at people who have already been scammed once. Knowing how it works is the best protection.

What a recovery scam looks like

The Federal Trade Commission describes refund and recovery scams as scams that target people who have already lost money to a scam. The scammer offers to get your money back, or a prize you never received, but first you have to pay them.

In June 2024 the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) warned about a version aimed at people who lost money in cryptocurrency scams, including the romance scams that end in a fake investment. Criminals posed as lawyers, contacted victims through social media or messaging apps, and claimed the case had been referred to them by the FBI, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or another government agency. Some victims found them through fake websites that looked legitimate. The FBI said victims reported losing more than $9.9 million to these fake firms between February 2023 and February 2024.

The warning signs

Any one of these is enough to stop and check.

Why it happens to people who've already been scammed

It isn't bad luck. Scammers know that someone who has just lost savings is hurting, hoping and often embarrassed. They also know your details: the amount, the dates, sometimes the name your scammer used. That knowledge makes the offer feel official, but it's usually a sign that the new contact is connected to the first scam, or bought your details from the people behind it.

If you've been through a romance scam, assume that anyone who contacts you out of the blue about getting money back is suspicious until you've checked them yourself.

What genuine help looks like

There are real routes to try, and none of them charge you to start.

1. Your bank, card company or payment service. Call them first, using the number on your card or statement. The faster you call, the better the chance of stopping or reversing a payment.
2. The FTC. Report what happened at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report to your state attorney general, as the FTC suggests.
3. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. File a report at ic3.gov. The FBI asks you to include how the person contacted you, payment details and any cryptocurrency addresses involved.
4. Your local police. You can also report the crime locally, and keep the report number with your other records.

The FBI is clear that law enforcement does not charge victims a fee for investigating crimes. If someone claims to be with the FBI, contact your local FBI field office yourself to confirm, using a number you look up independently, never one they give you.

Outside the US, our guide to reporting a romance scam, country by country lists the official bodies in the UK, Canada and Australia.

How the conversation usually goes

The details vary, but the shape is familiar. A first contact that seems to come from nowhere: "Our records show you were the victim of an online fraud." Reassurance that they've done this many times and that your money has been traced. A request for documents or account details to "confirm your identity." Then the fee, with urgency: the funds will be released this week, but only once a charge is paid.

If any message follows that pattern, stop there. Nothing legitimate depends on you paying quickly.

A calm way to say no

You don't owe a recovery caller an explanation. If you'd like a line to use, try:

"Thank you. I'm dealing with this through my bank and the authorities directly, so I won't be using any outside service. Please don't contact me again."

Then hang up or stop replying, and block the number or account. If they push, threaten or claim you'll lose your chance, that pressure is itself the answer.

If you've already paid

It happens to careful people, and the shame is part of what keeps it going. Stop paying now, whatever they say about "one last fee." Then:

• Call your bank or card company straight away.
• Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov, and mention both the original scam and the recovery scam.
• Keep everything: messages, emails, receipts, website addresses and wallet addresses.
• Tell someone you trust. A friend or family member can help you make the calls.

Protecting yourself from here

• Expect contact. If you've lost money once, treat any unexpected offer of help with getting it back as a likely scam.
• Do the contacting yourself. Look up phone numbers and websites independently, and call organizations on numbers you've found, never the one in a message.
• Never pay to get paid. No fee, tax or charge up front, however it's described.
• Keep the first rule. Never send money, gift cards or crypto to anyone you haven't met in person. Our guide never send money: the scripts scammers use has calm replies for every request.

If you're helping a parent or friend through this, our guide to romance scams aimed at people over 50 explains how the first scam usually unfolds, which makes the second easier to spot. Everything else is on our safety page.