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What is a crypto recovery scam?
A recovery scam targets people who have already lost crypto. Someone posing as a lawyer, investigator, "recovery expert" or government agency offers to get the money back, then asks for an upfront fee, personal details or banking information, and disappears.
What it means for you
No one can reverse a confirmed blockchain transaction, and US law enforcement does not charge victims a fee to investigate. A recovery offer that arrives unsolicited, or that asks for payment first, is the pattern the FBI describes. Report losses directly at ic3.gov instead of through anyone who contacts you.
A common mistake: “A recovery service can trace my stolen crypto and reverse the transaction for a fee.”
In fact: No one can reverse a confirmed blockchain transaction. Tracing shows where coins went, but getting them back depends on whoever holds them, and US law enforcement charges victims nothing to investigate.
How it works
The scammer finds people who have already lost money, through social media or messaging apps, and poses as a lawyer, investigator or recovery firm. The FBI describes fake law firms that claim to be working with the FBI, the CFPB or another agency on the victim's case. They ask for personal and bank details for "verification", an upfront fee with more due on recovery, or back taxes and charges. None of this can work: a confirmed blockchain transaction cannot be reversed by anyone, and US law enforcement does not charge victims to investigate. A claimed FBI link can be checked by calling a local FBI field office directly.
Sources: FBI IC3: Fictitious law firms targeting cryptocurrency scam victims (PSA240624), ethereum.org: Scam help and reporting · checked 4 October 2026
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Educational content, not financial advice. Written by hand and checked against the source named above. Something wrong? Tell us and we reply within two business days.