Recovery scam warning signs: questions to ask before you act

Recognize the pattern

The FTC describes refund and recovery scams that target people who have already lost money. Someone may claim to represent an agency, legal organization, or recovery service, then demand an upfront payment or sensitive information. The FTC warns against unexpected promises to recover funds for a fee.

The FBI also warns about fraudulent cryptocurrency recovery businesses, including false claims of law-enforcement affiliation and demands for further fees after an initial payment. A private company cannot issue a seizure order. Ask who has the authority to take the action being described.

Sources: FTC: Refund and recovery scams · FBI IC3: Cryptocurrency recovery schemes

Use these questions to examine the offer

• Who is the actual person or legal entity providing the service, and how can I verify their identity independently?
• What specific work will be performed, and what written deliverable will I receive?
• Which records support the statement that my money has been located?
• Does the claimed transaction trail establish ownership or control, or only show an address and transfers?
• Who would request or authorize a freeze, repayment, dispute, or legal action?
• What is the complete price, agreed currency, scope, cancellation process, and complaints contact?
• What information is genuinely necessary, where will it be stored, and who will be able to access it?
• Which outcomes are uncertain, and what happens if the proposed next step is unavailable?

Keep the answers with the original offer. If a reply avoids the question, record that instead of filling in the answer yourself. A written question list helps you compare a specific proposed service with what was actually promised in an advertisement or conversation.

Verify through a separate channel

If someone claims to represent a known organization, find the organization's official contact details independently. Do not rely solely on the link, telephone number, badge, or document in the message you received. Ask the organization to confirm the claimed relationship and the individual contacting you.

Treat urgency as a reason to document the request carefully. Write down the claimed deadline, why a payment is supposedly necessary, and who is asking for it. You can preserve an offer for examination without acting on it. If a message refers to a regulatory authorization, identify the exact entity and register entry being claimed.

Sources: FTC: Refund and recovery scams

Worked example: examine an unexpected recovery offer

Fictional example, not a real offer: a caller knows the amount you lost and claims that USD 9,000 has been frozen for you. They send a screenshot with an agency logo and demand USD 450 in cryptocurrency by this afternoon to release it. They say their private firm can issue the seizure order.

Knowing your earlier loss does not authenticate the caller. The screenshot is a claim to verify, the payment demand creates a further-loss risk, and the claimed seizure power conflicts with the FBI's warning about private recovery firms. Do not pay to satisfy the claimed deadline. Preserve the message and contact the named agency using details you find independently.

This example illustrates the FTC and FBI warnings. It does not establish that every paid professional service is fraudulent; a proposed legitimate service still needs an identifiable provider, specific work, complete written terms and independently checkable claims.

Sources: FTC: Refund and recovery scams · FBI IC3: Cryptocurrency recovery schemes

Keep a verification record, not just a yes or no

Save the original offer separately from your verification notes. A useful note records the date, the independently found contact route, the claim you asked about and the answer. A website repeating the same claim is not an independent confirmation. If you have already paid, contact the payment provider promptly and preserve the new payment record alongside the offer.

Sources: FTC: Refund and recovery scams

Keep a separate record of the new approach

A recovery approach may become relevant evidence in its own right. Save the original email or message, the sender's details, the advertised website, any proposed contract, and the payment instructions. Add a new section to your timeline so that the original investment loss and the later approach remain distinguishable.

If you already made an additional payment, record it separately with its own date, currency, recipient, and reference. Use the official reporting channels appropriate to your circumstances. Do not delete the conversations simply because you now believe the offer was false.

Understand what Justice Point currently provides

Justice Point provides a private place to organize a report, upload supporting documents, record public wallet references, and communicate with the team reviewing a case. A submitted report does not itself recover funds or initiate legal action. The platform does not require wallet connection, private keys, seed phrases, or signing a transaction.

Account creation and report preparation do not carry a signup charge. Any separate paid professional service must identify its provider, scope, price, and applicable terms in writing before you agree. Read the Terms of Service and Recovery Disclaimer, and use support@justice-point.org for questions about a message claiming to be from this service.