If you've already lost money to a fake investment platform or exchange, you're now a specific kind of target: someone who has proven they'll send money to strangers who sound convincing. Recovery scams exist specifically to catch people at this exact moment, when they're desperate to undo what's happened.

Here are five patterns worth knowing.

  1. They contact you first. A genuine recovery specialist doesn't cold-message victims found through leaked databases or scam-report forums. If a "recovery expert" reaches out to you unprompted, that alone is worth treating as a serious warning sign.

  2. They ask for money before doing any real work. Tracing stolen crypto on a public blockchain is something a genuine investigator can start immediately, using tools that don't require your money up front. A firm demanding a large upfront fee before showing you any actual findings is a red flag.

  3. They guarantee results. No one, not a lawyer, not a police unit, not a blockchain specialist, can guarantee stolen funds will be recovered. The realistic recovery window is narrow, and even within it, outcomes are never certain. A guarantee is a sales pitch, not a fact.

  4. They introduce a second fee partway through. This is the same tactic the original scam used: a "tax," a "release fee," a "customs charge" that appears only once you're emotionally invested and have already paid something. It's not a coincidence, it's a proven method.

  5. They only accept cryptocurrency. A real recovery firm charging a real fee has no reason to insist on an untraceable, unreversible payment method. If crypto is the only option offered, ask why.

If you're currently being asked to pay a company claiming they can recover money you've already lost, it's worth getting an independent, no-pressure second opinion before sending anything further.