Recovery Scam

A secondary fraud targeting people who have already lost crypto to a primary scam. Attackers monitor public reporting channels, social-media complaints, and breach databases for fresh victims, then contact them offering 'asset recovery' for an upfront fee — sometimes posing as private investigators, sometimes as 'reformed hackers,' sometimes as 'cyber-recovery firms.' No legitimate recovery service requires an upfront retainer from the victim. Real recovery, where it exists, is exchange compliance and law-enforcement work that takes months and is never paid for in crypto by the victim.