If you have already been scammed once, you are immediately at higher risk of being scammed again by a fake "recovery service." Knowing how to tell the difference could save you from losing even more money.
Scammers frequently sell victim information to other criminal groups. Your name, contact details, and the fact that you were scammed — including how much you lost — can end up on lists bought and sold between fraud operations. Shortly after being scammed, many victims receive calls, emails, or messages from people claiming they can recover the lost funds. According to the FTC, recovery fraud is one of the fastest-growing scam categories precisely because it targets people who are already desperate.
No legitimate attorney, government agency, or recovery firm charges an upfront fee to begin recovery work. If someone asks for money before doing any work — that is always a scam.
1. Red Flags That Indicate a Recovery Scam
They contact you first without you reaching out — especially if they claim to already know what happened to you. They ask for an upfront fee before doing any work. They promise guaranteed results or a specific percentage recovery. They ask you to pay via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift cards. Their website has no verifiable physical address. They claim to be the FBI, Interpol, or another government agency offering paid recovery services. Communication happens primarily via WhatsApp or Telegram. No attorney name, bar number, or verifiable legal credentials are provided.
2. What a Legitimate Asset Recovery Law Firm Looks Like
A legitimate asset recovery law firm will have licensed attorneys with verifiable bar association memberships you can check independently, a real and verifiable physical office address, transparent fee arrangements explained in writing before any work begins, no request for upfront payment via gift card or cryptocurrency, honest assessment of your case including when recovery is unlikely, and clear written engagement agreements before work begins.
3. How to Verify a Law Firm's Credentials
Every licensed attorney in the United States is listed in their state bar's public directory. Before engaging any recovery service, look up the attorney's name on the bar website of the state where they claim to practice. In seconds, you can verify whether they are licensed, in good standing, and have any disciplinary history. This check is free and takes less than two minutes.
4. Someone Claiming to Be the FBI Contacted Me — Is It Real?
The FBI does not contact victims via WhatsApp, Telegram, or personal email to offer paid recovery services. If someone claims to be from the FBI and asks for money or personal information, that is a scammer. Real law enforcement contacts are made through official channels and never involve a request for payment. Report such contact immediately at ic3.gov.
Verify Our Credentials
We encourage every potential client to verify our credentials before making contact. Our attorneys are licensed and in good standing with their state bar associations. You can verify this independently at your state bar's public directory. We welcome your scrutiny — a legitimate firm has nothing to hide. We never ask for upfront fees via cryptocurrency, gift card, or wire transfer, and we provide written engagement agreements before any work begins.
