Recovery Scams: When Someone Offers to Get Your Money Back

A recovery scam is a second scam aimed at someone who already lost money. A caller, email or message claims to be a government agency, law firm or recovery service that can get the money back, but first asks for a fee or for bank details. The FTC says real agencies don’t charge to help you get a refund. If anyone asks for money to return money, it’s a scam.

Why scam victims get targeted again

The FTC says scammers buy and trade “sucker lists” of people who have paid scammers before. These lists can include names, contact details, the type of scam and how much was paid. That is how a recovery caller can sound like they know your case.

The FBI warns that fake law firms target vulnerable people, particularly older adults. In an August 2025 alert, it said these scammers play on a victim’s emotions and need to recover money, and give a false sense of safety by claiming ties to government agencies. They may know the exact amounts and dates of earlier wire transfers.

The FBI has also seen scammers pose as its own staff. Between December 2023 and February 2025, it received more than 100 reports of people impersonating employees of the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Almost all said they had recovered the victim’s money or could help recover it.

How the pitch usually sounds

Based on the FTC and FBI descriptions, the contact may:

• Claim to be from a government agency, consumer group, law firm or the company that first took the money.
• Say you are on a government list of scam victims.
• Say they hold your money, or can put you at the top of a refund list.
• Ask for a retainer, processing fee, tax or “bank fee” first.
• Ask for your Social Security number or bank account number to “deposit the refund.”
• Move you to a group chat on WhatsApp or another app for “secrecy.”

Red flags

• Any upfront fee to get money back. The FTC says this is a sign of a scam.
• Payment by cash, gift card, crypto, wire or payment app. The FBI notes the U.S. government does not ask for payment for law enforcement services.
• A “partner” law firm. The FBI says no law firms are officially authorized partners of U.S. government agencies.
• An agency you can’t find. The FBI cites fake names such as the “International Financial Trading Commission.”
• A refund check for more than you lost, with a request to send back the difference. The FTC says this is always a scam.
• No video, no license. The FBI says fake firms often won’t appear on camera or provide credentials.

What to do instead

• Don’t pay anyone upfront for refund or recovery help, and don’t share financial details to get a refund.
• Look up the agency yourself. Call the number on its official website, not one from the caller or caller ID.
• Search the name of any firm with words like “complaint,” “scam” or “review,” and check with your state attorney general.
• Ask for proof. The FBI suggests asking for a video call and a photo of a law license, and treating a refusal as a sign the firm is not real.
• Keep records of every call, message and payment request.

If your parent already paid a “recovery” service

• Call the bank or payment company right away and ask to stop or reverse the payment.
• Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and at ic3.gov, and to your state attorney general.
• People 60 and older can get help filing an IC3 complaint from the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).
• The AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline, 877-908-3360, offers support.

Recovery scams often begin with a call to someone who is already upset. FamilyDefender checks unknown calls to an older parent while they happen and can warn the parent and alert family when a call looks risky.