Fund recovery scams: the second scam targeting victims
Losing money on a fraudulent investment platform is hard. But what often comes next can be worse: companies, lawyers or “investigators” promising to recover your money in exchange for an upfront payment. In the vast majority of cases they are the same scammers, or groups that have bought the victims’ data.
How they find you
- They call or email you directly, sometimes weeks or months after the first scam. They know how much you lost and on which platform.
- Ads and reviews. They advertise to people searching for “how to get money back from a broker” and flood forums and review sites with fake testimonials.
- “Complaint” or “review” websites. Some sites that claim to expose scams actually exist to capture victims and send them to a recovery service.
- They pose as authorities: police, regulators, Europol or a supposed “recovered funds department”.
Warning signs
- They contact you without you asking.
- They guarantee recovery or quote very high “success rates”.
- They ask for payment upfront: “fees”, “court costs”, “taxes” or “blockchain charges”.
- They ask for access to your bank, your computer or your ID documents.
- They use official-sounding names or claim to work with the police.
- They pressure you to decide quickly.
What you need to know
No one can guarantee you will get your money back. The real routes are free or have transparent costs:
- Your bank: chargeback if you paid by card, or a recall request for a bank transfer.
- The police: filing a report is essential and free.
- Your country’s financial regulator.
- A registered lawyer in your country, if you want to pursue legal action. Check they are on their bar association’s register and be wary of anyone charging upfront while promising results.
Authorities will never ask you for money to return what was stolen from you.
InvestRedFlags does not offer recovery services
We never charge victims or platforms, and we do not work with recovery companies. If someone contacts you claiming to come from us, it is false.
If you have already fallen for a scam, follow the steps in our victim guide.