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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →If someone contacts you after a crypto theft and promises to get your money back—especially for an upfront fee—treat the offer as a possible second scam. Stop paying or sharing information, save the messages and transaction details, and report the loss through official channels. A tracing report is not a freeze, seizure, or guarantee that funds will be returned.
How a recovery scam works
After an initial theft or fraud, someone may approach you claiming to be a recovery company, lawyer, investigator, government official, or law-enforcement contact. They may find you through social media, messaging apps, search results, comments, calls, or email. Some claim an official affiliation to earn trust; others present a technical-looking tracing report.
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The pitch is that they can trace or retrieve the missing crypto. They may ask for an initial payment, then disappear—or provide a questionable or incomplete report and demand more money for additional tracing or to release funds. A polished website, official-sounding name, or knowledge of your earlier loss does not prove the offer is legitimate. The FBI has warned that fraudsters impersonate officials, including people claiming a connection to Operation Level Up (FBI: Operation Level Up).
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- Unsolicited contact: Someone unexpectedly gets in touch after your loss and says they can recover the crypto. The FBI and CFTC warn consumers about recovery fraud and unsolicited recovery claims (FBI recovery-fraud investigation; CFTC: Recovery Frauds).
- Claimed authority you cannot verify: The contact says they represent law enforcement, a government agency, a law firm, or an official recovery program, but approaches through an unofficial message or account. Verify any claimed affiliation independently through the agency’s official website rather than replying to the message.
- Upfront or escalating charges: They ask you to pay for tracing, taxes, verification, release, or another step before you can supposedly access recovered funds. The FBI warns about initial and additional fee demands in recovery fraud (FBI recovery-fraud investigation).
- Guaranteed results, urgency, or secrecy: They promise recovery, pressure you to act quickly or keep the matter secret, or insist that paying them is your only route to the funds. The FBI says to be wary of anyone claiming they can recover your funds (FBI IC3 guidance for cryptocurrency scam victims).
- A report without a verifiable route to a freeze or seizure: A tracing report alone does not establish that anyone can lawfully take control of the funds. The FBI states that private recovery companies cannot issue seizure orders (FBI recovery-fraud investigation).
What to do if someone offers to recover your crypto
- Stop paying and sharing information. Do not send further fees or provide more personal or financial details to the suspected recovery contact. Do not share wallet credentials. The FBI’s victim guidance warns about follow-on recovery fraud (FBI: Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud).
- Save the evidence before deleting or blocking the contact. Keep names used, phone numbers, email addresses, usernames, URLs, messages, payment requests, receipts, and claims of official affiliation. Preserve the original transaction records as well; these details can help when you make a report.
- Write down the transaction trail. Record the asset type and amount, date and time, sending and receiving wallet addresses, transaction hash, and any exchange or financial institution involved. The FBI IC3 identifies transaction information and identifying details as useful for reporting (FBI IC3 guidance for cryptocurrency scam victims).
- Report through official channels. In the United States, file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or contact a local FBI field office. You may also report to relevant regulators and local law enforcement. The FTC directs consumers to ReportFraud.ftc.gov for suspected crypto fraud, and the CFTC has a complaint channel (CFTC: 6 Steps to Take after Discovering Fraud).
- Watch for a second impersonation. A scammer may pretend to follow up on an official report or claim to be an FBI employee or government official. Do not rely on an unsolicited message to verify the sender; use the agency’s official website to find contact details (FBI: Operation Level Up).
If you are outside the United States, use your country’s official cybercrime and consumer-fraud reporting services. IC3 and the US agencies listed above are not substitutes for your local authorities.
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What tracing can—and cannot—do
Tracing, freezing, seizure, and returning assets are different things. Tracing may identify transaction movements; it does not itself give a private company authority to seize cryptocurrency. An exchange may freeze an account through its own procedures or in response to legal process, but a tracing report does not compel an exchange to act. The FBI explains that private recovery companies cannot issue seizure orders and cautions that rapid reporting can support recovery efforts without guaranteeing that funds will be returned (FBI recovery-fraud investigation; FBI IC3 guidance for cryptocurrency scam victims).
Recovery is not assured. The CFTC warns that recovering money lost to fraud is rare and becomes more difficult if funds have first been converted to cryptocurrency (CFTC: Relationship Cons, Recovery Scams, & Money Laundering). Reporting promptly is still useful: it gives authorities and relevant institutions information to assess the incident, but no private service can honestly promise a particular outcome.
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