How can you recognize Recovery scam — 'we can get your stolen crypto back' (revictimisation)?

TLDR

How it works

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

1After a victim publicly mentions a crypto/romance loss (Reddit, X, news), scammers DM offering 'asset recovery services' / 'specialised blockchain forensic firm' / 'contacts at the exchange'.
2DO: legitimate recovery happens ONLY via law enforcement (FBI, Polizia Postale) and licensed firms (Chainalysis, TRM, Crystal) hired by them — never upfront fee strangers.

Source

FBI-2024-Internet-Crime-Report

Source reviewed by Mythos Forensic Team

https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2024_IC3Report.pdf

FAQ

Is Recovery scam — 'we can get your stolen crypto back' (revictimisation) 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?

After a victim publicly mentions a crypto/romance loss (Reddit, X, news), scammers DM offering 'asset recovery services' / 'specialised blockchain forensic firm' / 'contacts at the exchange'.; DO: legitimate recovery happens ONLY via law enforcement (FBI, Polizia Postale) and licensed firms (Chainalysis, TRM, Crystal) hired by them — never upfront fee strangers.

Can LegalAudit check my case?

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