Pretends to get your money back
Fake fund recovery help
Is someone offering to get back money I lost to a scam a scam?
Yes. Real agencies do not charge to recover your money, and fake FBI helpers steal more. Report through official sites you find yourself.
Real organizations never do this. Stop. Hang up or delete it.
Also searched as: recover lost money, crypto recovery service, asset recovery, get your money back, scam recovery lawyer
Draft: we're still checking this page. The quotes below are word for word from their sources.
What to do
On the phone right now?
- Stop. Hang up or close the message. Don't tap anything.
- Check. Call a number you already have, like the one on your card or bill.
- Talk to someone you trust before you pay anyone.
If anyone is in danger right now, call 911.
If you already paid
- Call the company you paid through right away: your bank, card company, gift card company, or the wire or Zelle service. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
- Call the Justice Department's National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If it happened online, report it at IC3.gov too.
General information, not legal or financial advice. If you've lost money, contact your bank and report it.
How it works
1 They reach you by
- Social media
- Phone call
- Website
- Video call
2 They pretend to be
- Police or government
3 They ask for
- Personal details
- Money
- Tap a link
What it can look like
Example pattern, not a real message
Pretends to get your money back. What gives it away:
- Give your ID numbers
- Use their link
- Pay right now
Warning signs
- They contacted you, then ask for your Social Security, Medicare or bank numbers.
- They want you to use their link or their phone number. Look up the real website or number yourself.
- They say you must pay right now or something bad will happen. Real organizations give you time to check.
Why we say this
Indian national pleads guilty in elderly fraud scheme while in prison
Callers posing as PayPal employees or federal agents told older Americans that their money had been hacked or tied to drug cartels, then offered to recover it for a fee. One 93-year-old North Dakota woman mailed a $45,000 personal check to someone involved in the operation.
As part of the scheme, fraudsters posed as PayPal representatives or federal government agents and falsely told victims they needed to send money that would later be returned to them.
2 more quotes from this source
One victim, a 93-year-old North Dakota woman, was instructed to mail a $45,000 check after being falsely told Attorney General Pam Bondi would help her obtain a new identification card and return her money.
From inside federal prison, Singh used the contraband phone to send messages to a phone number in India, including a photo of a bank receipt showing the victim's check had been deposited in Edinburg.
FBI Warns of Scammers Impersonating the IC3
People who already lost money to a scam get contacted by fake FBI or IC3 "helpers". They offer to get the money back, but they steal more money or private details. They use fake websites, fake social media pages and AI deepfake videos.
Almost all complainants indicated the scammers claimed to have recovered the victim's lost funds or offered to assist in recovering funds.
4 more quotes from this source
IC3 does not maintain a social media presence and does not investigate crimes or recover funds through Facebook, Telegram, or similar platforms.
IC3 will never ask for payment to recover lost funds, nor will IC3 refer someone to a company requesting payment for recovering funds.
Do not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to people you do not know or have met only online or over the phone.
When navigating to IC3's official website, type [www.ic3.gov](https://www.ic3.gov/) directly into the address bar located at the top of your Internet browser, rather than using a search engine.