Recovery scam
Updated 2026-09-29
A recovery scam targets someone who has already lost money to an earlier scam. A caller, message, or website claims to be a recovery agent, lawyer, or hacker who can retrieve the lost funds, but asks for a fee, tax, or deposit first.
Once that payment is made, the person disappears and the original loss is not recovered. The victim has now lost twice.
Genuine help does not require payment before any money is returned. A real lawyer or agency explains the process and its cost clearly, and does not promise a guaranteed result in advance.
If someone contacts you unexpectedly offering to recover money you lost, treat it as a warning sign rather than a solution. Verify who you are dealing with before paying anything, and read about civil claims against a scammer for a realistic route.
When it matters
This term matters most in the days after a first scam, when a victim is emotional and looking for a fast fix. Recognising the pattern early can prevent a second loss.
Read next
APK scam: what to do right now
If you installed an app from a link and your phone or banking now looks wrong, here is what to do in the next few minutes to limit the damage.
Read thisBusiness email compromise: what to do
A supplier or director email asked you to pay a changed bank account. Here is how business email compromise works and the fastest response.
Read thisCrypto scam: what you can do
If a crypto exchange or wallet blocks your withdrawal after you met the operator on a chat app, here is how to trace what happened and what to do next.
Read thisWhat to do right after a scam
If you just realised you sent money to a scam, here is the order of first actions: stop paying, call your bank, call 997, and report it.
Read this