Recovery agent scams

Recovery-agent scams target people who already lost money, promising to get it back for an upfront fee.

How recovery agent scams work

After a loss, a fake 'recovery agent', 'lawyer', or 'government team' contacts you promising results.

They ask for an upfront 'processing', 'legal', or 'release' fee - which simply adds to your loss.

Genuine recovery never starts with a fee to someone who contacted you.

Common opening lines

• “We can recover the money you lost - pay a small processing fee.”
• “As a lawyer, I can recover your funds - pay a retainer to begin.”
• “Your funds are traced; send the release fee to receive them.”

Example patterns

Sanitised examples - placeholders only, never real links or data.

Red flags

• recovery scam
• upfront fee
• fake authority

What to do now

1. Stop paying and keep the deal/communication on official channels.
2. If money moved, contact your bank or payment provider immediately.
3. Save evidence and report to your national cybercrime authority.

What not to do

• Don't pay a fee to receive money, a refund, a prize, or to 'release' funds.
• Don't pay via gift cards, wire, or crypto to someone you haven't verified.
• Don't trust payment screenshots as proof of payment.

If you already responded

If you went further: if you clicked, don't enter anything and change any details you typed; if you entered card details, freeze the card with your bank; if you shared an OTP, change the password and enable app-based 2FA; if you paid, contact your bank or provider immediately; if you installed an app or gave remote access, disconnect, uninstall, and change passwords from a clean device.

How to verify safely

Report losses only through official channels; legitimate recovery never requires an upfront fee paid to a stranger.

How to report

Report through official channels you find yourself - never a number or link from the message. Tell your bank or payment provider if money moved, and file with your national fraud or cybercrime body. Find the right links in the reporting directory. Open the reporting directory.

Watch for 'recovery' offers afterwards: anyone promising to get your money back for an upfront fee is running a second scam.

Sources checked

• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre - Fraudsters impersonating the CAFC
• FTC Consumer Advice - Imposter scams

Last reviewed: 2026-06-05

This is general safety information, not legal, financial, or cybersecurity incident-response advice. We can't detect every scam or guarantee recovery - always verify through official channels.