LEGALAUDIT

Scam Watch

How can you recognize Fake exchange recovery agent — claims to restore lost crypto?

TLDR

Prior scam victim contacted by 'Coinbase recovery specialist'/'OKX fraud unit'/'Binance compliance officer' via Telegram/email. Claims FBI partnership case file, can recover funds for $500 5000 upfront 'gas fee'. Indicators: (1)...

How it works

Prior scam victim contacted by 'Coinbase recovery specialist'/'OKX fraud unit'/'Binance compliance officer' via Telegram/email. Claims FBI partnership case file, can recover funds for $500 5000 upfront 'gas fee'. Indicators: (1)...

Red flags

  • Urgent pressure to click, pay, or share codes immediately.
  • A link or sender that does not match the official organization.
  • Requests for card data, passwords, OTPs, wallet signatures, or bank transfers.

What to do

  1. 1Indicators: (1) Coinbase/Binance/OKX do NOT operate recovery + never call victims proactively; (2) email from Gmail/Outlook not @coinbase.com; (3) claims FBI/CFPB partnership (no such partnership); (4) requests upfront payment via crypto/wire/gift card; (5) name in scam tracker lists.
  2. 2WHAT TO DO: law enforcement NEVER charges fees.
  3. 3IF VICTIM AGAIN: stop payments, report IC3 mentioning 're victimisation', never engage further.

Source

FBI-IC3

Source reviewed by Mythos Forensic Team

https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber/alerts/2025/fictitious-law-firms-targeting-cryptocurrency-scam-victims-combine-multiple-exploitation-tactics-while-offering-to-recover-funds

FAQ

Is Fake exchange recovery agent — claims to restore lost crypto a real scam pattern?

Yes. Treat the message, call, or payment request as suspicious until you verify it through an official channel.

What are the first warning signs?

Urgent pressure to click, pay, or share codes immediately.; A link or sender that does not match the official organization.; Requests for card data, passwords, OTPs, wallet signatures, or bank transfers.

What should I do first?

Indicators: (1) Coinbase/Binance/OKX do NOT operate recovery + never call victims proactively; (2) email from Gmail/Outlook not @coinbase.com; (3) claims FBI/CFPB partnership (no such partnership); (4) requests upfront payment via crypto/wire/gift card; (5) name in scam tracker lists.; WHAT TO DO: law enforcement NEVER charges fees.; IF VICTIM AGAIN: stop payments, report IC3 mentioning 're victimisation', never engage further.

Can LegalAudit check my case?

Yes. Start a free chat and paste the message, link, sender, or payment details for triage.