Scam record · 188 reader reports
The recovery scam
Also called: refund recovery scam, fund recovery scam, scam victim list, reload scam, asset recovery fraud
The recovery scam targets people who were already scammed, with a call or message from a "lawyer," "recovery agency" or "government investigator" offering to get the lost money back for an upfront fee, which is itself the scam.
What to do right now
- Hang up. No government agency or legitimate firm charges a fee to recover scam losses, and none contacts victims cold.
- Real recovery goes through your bank, the card issuer, the FTC and the FBI, all free.
- Tell anyone in the family who was scammed that this call will come.
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How it works
The cruelest scam in the database. Weeks or months after someone loses money, a call comes from an “investigator” who says the scammers have been caught and funds are being returned to victims. There is paperwork, a case number, sometimes a convincing website. There is also a fee: a tax on the recovered amount, a release charge, a lawyer’s retainer. Pay it and a second fee appears, then a third.
The callers have the victim’s name, the amount and the story because the first scammers sold the list. That is also why the family should know: the person who was scammed once is the person most likely to be called again.
If you already paid or gave information
- Report to reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov with both the original scam and the recovery scam.
- Call your bank about any transfers; speed is everything.
Where to report it
- FTC: reportfraud.ftc.gov
- FBI IC3: ic3.gov
- Report it to Latchkey Daily so we can warn other readers
Questions people ask
- What is the recovery scam?
- The recovery scam targets people who were already scammed, with a call or message from a "lawyer," "recovery agency" or "government investigator" offering to get the lost money back for an upfront fee, which is itself the scam.
- What should I do if I got the recovery scam?
- Hang up. No government agency or legitimate firm charges a fee to recover scam losses, and none contacts victims cold. Real recovery goes through your bank, the card issuer, the FTC and the FBI, all free. Tell anyone in the family who was scammed that this call will come.
- What if I already paid or gave information?
- Report to reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov with both the original scam and the recovery scam. Call your bank about any transfers; speed is everything.
- How do they know I was scammed?
- Scammers sell lists of victims, with amounts and details, to other scammers. Being on the list is why the second call comes.
- Can I ever get scam money back?
- Sometimes, through your bank or card issuer if reported fast, and occasionally through FTC or court settlements years later. Never through someone who calls you offering to do it for a fee.
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The IRS impersonation scamThe IRS impersonation scam is a call, text or email from someone claiming to be the IRS, demanding immediate payment of back taxes by gift card, wire or crypto under threat of arrest, or offering a refund you can claim by clicking a link and entering your Social Security number and bank details.
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