Recovery scams
After a scam, the next message often promises to get the money back. It is usually the same criminals, or others who bought a list of people who have already lost money. They charge a fee, take it, and ask for more.
No genuine agency, police force or bank charges you a fee to get your money back.
How recovery scams work
They find people who have already been scammed: through lists traded between criminals, victim support groups, reviews and comments, and online ads aimed at scam victims.
They pose as someone with power to help: a law firm, a "crypto tracing" service, a regulator, the police or the FBI.
They often know details of the original loss, which makes them believable.
They ask for money up front: a fee, a tax, a "release" charge or a bank fee. When it is paid, a new fee appears.
The numbers
UK: 5,553 recovery scam reports and GBP 185.4m lost between November 2024 and November 2025, according to Action Fraud figures reported by Which?.
Australia: Scamwatch received 158 reports of money recovery scams between December 2023 and May 2024, up 129 percent on the six months before.
US: the FBI has warned about recovery scams repeatedly since August 2023, most recently in July 2026.
What the authorities say
The US Federal Trade Commission advises never paying up front for a refund or for help getting one.
The FBI states that IC3 never asks for payment to recover lost funds, and never refers anyone to a company that does.
In the UK, firms offering this kind of service must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Australia's National Anti-Scam Centre advises scam victims not to use services that claim they can recover stolen money.
Where real help is
United States: report to the FBI at ic3.gov. The National Elder Fraud Hotline is 833-372-8311 (833-FRAUD-11).
United Kingdom: call 159 to reach your own bank. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025). In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. Victim Support (England and Wales): 08 08 16 89 111.
Australia: report at scamwatch.gov.au or ReportCyber. IDCARE: 1800 595 160.
If you are in danger or have just sent money, use the Emergency button at the top of any page.
For banks, credit unions and support workers
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Practitioner guide: recovery scams (PDF, 25 pages)Customer handout to print and hand over (PDF, 1 page)Paste a text, email or direct message
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Flggd found signs in this message that match known scam patterns. Do not reply, click, call or pay.
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You tapped a link
Opening a link does not usually take money or details on its own. The harm comes from what you do on the page it opens. If you entered nothing and installed nothing, close the page and do not go back to it. If it asked you to sign in, enter a code, or install something, and you did, choose Gave details instead.
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You gave details
Work through this in order. First, if you gave bank or card details, call your bank now on the number on your card. Next, change the password for any account you entered, and for any other account that uses the same password. If you shared a one-time code, tell the organisation it belongs to straight away. Then turn on two-step verification where you can, and watch your statements for anything you do not recognise.
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You sent money
Call your bank now, on the number on your card or in your banking app. Say: "I have been scammed and I need to stop a payment." The sooner they hear from you, the more they may be able to stop or recover. In the UK you can call 159 to reach your bank. Do not pay anyone who offers to get the money back. That is another scam.
Report it. US: ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and ic3.gov for online crime. UK: reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040; in Scotland, Police Scotland on 101. Australia: scamwatch.gov.au. Have ready the message, the sender's number or address, and any payment details.
What to do next
Do not reply, click any link, call any number in the message or send money. If it claims to be from an organisation you know, contact them using details you already trust.
Do not reply, click any link, call any number in the message or send money. If it claims to be from an organisation you know, contact them using details you already trust.
No action needed. If the sender later asks for money, codes or personal details, check that message too.
Do not reply at all, not even to say wrong number. A reply tells them the number is live. Block the sender and delete the message. If a request follows, check it again.
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