Feb 19, 2026 | posted by Lily Chavez
Getting scammed is devastating. Losing money, feeling embarrassed, not knowing who to trust — it's a lot to carry. So imagine thinking someone has finally reached out to help you get that money back, only to realize you've just been scammed again. That's exactly what a recovery scam is, and it's more common than you'd think.
Here's how it works: after you've been defrauded, someone contacts you claiming they can recover your stolen money. They might call themselves a law firm, a government agency, or a consumer advocacy group. They'll ask for a fee upfront and promise to handle everything. But the moment you pay, they disappear, and you're out even more money than before.
So how do they know you were scammed in the first place? Sometimes it's the original scammer coming back for more. Other times, your information ends up on lists that are bought and sold among criminal networks. They may already know your name, what type of scam got you, and how much you lost, which makes their pitch sound surprisingly believable.
They also know you're in a vulnerable emotional state. Embarrassment, grief, and desperation can cloud your judgment, and scammers count on that. They'll pressure you to act fast, saying you'll miss your chance if you don't respond immediately. That urgency is a tactic designed to keep you from thinking clearly.
To protect yourself, keep these simple rules in mind. Never pay anyone upfront to recover your money. If someone contacts you out of nowhere offering to help, ignore it. If someone sends you a check and asks you to return part of it, don't deposit it because the check is fake. And remember, real government agencies will never call you out of the blue offering money or asking for personal information.
If you've been hit by a recovery scam, report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.
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