Scam Help · Free public service
Someone Says They Can Get My Money Back for a Fee. Is It a Scam?
A fund-recovery scam is a second scam. A stranger contacts you after you lost money and offers to get it back for a fee. The US FTC says government agencies and legitimate organisations will never ask for money or financial information for this. Do not pay, hang up, and report it through official channels.
We are a private marketing company. We are not the police, a bank or a government body. We cannot recover anyone's money, and this page does not promise that any route will get yours back.
What is a fund-recovery (recovery-room) scam?
You lose money to a scam. Days or weeks later, someone new contacts you. They say they can find the money and return it. First, you must pay a fee, or share your bank login, or let them use your computer.
That is the whole trick. The first scam took your money. The second one takes more.
The UK Financial Conduct Authority calls this a "recovery room scam". It warns that people who were scammed can be contacted with an offer to get their money back after paying a fee, and may be targeted again.
Source: UK Financial Conduct Authority, consumer page "Protect yourself from scams", read 4 October 2026.
How do they find me?
The US FTC says recovery scammers buy lists of people who already lost money. They then pose as agencies, advocacy groups or law firms, and ask for upfront fees or financial information.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) describes the same pitch. Fraudsters target earlier victims, ask for an advance fee, remote access or banking logins, pose as authorities and press for urgent action.
Source: US FTC Consumer Advice alert, 3 August 2026; Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, "Recovery pitch" page, read 4 October 2026.
How big is the problem?
We could not verify a loss figure for recovery scams alone from an official page, so we do not quote one. What we can show is the pool of people who have already lost money. Those are the people recovery scammers call.
| Place | What was reported | Period |
|---|---|---|
| United States (FTC) | $15.9 billion in reported fraud losses, about 3 million fraud reports | Calendar year 2025 |
| United States (FBI IC3) | 1,008,597 complaints, $20.877 billion in reported losses | Calendar year 2025 |
| United Kingdom (UK Finance) | APP fraud losses of £576.4 million across 248,070 cases | 2025 |
| Australia (National Anti-Scam Centre) | Reported losses of AUD 2.18 billion from 481,523 reports | Calendar year 2025 |
| India (Ministry of Home Affairs) | More than Rs 56,087 crore reported across more than 53,87,905 cyber fraud complaints | Financial years 2023-24 to 2025-26 |
Source: FTC testimony to the Joint Economic Committee, 25 March 2026 (calendar 2025); FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report; UK Finance Annual Fraud Report 2026 (2025); National Anti-Scam Centre Targeting Scams Report 2025 (March 2026); PIB, Ministry of Home Affairs, 22 July 2026. All figures are as reported by the named source. FTC and IC3 data overlap, so do not add them together.
The FTC also says reported losses are only a fraction of the true cost. Its estimate for 2024, once under-reporting is counted, is as high as $195.9 billion.
Source: FTC testimony to the Joint Economic Committee, 25 March 2026 (estimate for 2024).
Who gets hit?
Anyone who lost money can be called. Older people report some of the heaviest losses in the figures we checked.
- In the US, complainants aged 60 and over to the FBI IC3 reported $7.748 billion in losses in 2025, the highest of any age group. 12,444 of them lost more than $100,000.
- In Australia, people aged 65 and over are about 17.1 percent of the population but 26.5 percent of losses reported to Scamwatch in 2025.
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report, Elder Fraud section (calendar 2025); National Anti-Scam Centre Targeting Scams Report 2025.
Shame can also play a part. Official guidance on scams describes pressure meant to leave people too rushed or too embarrassed to check with anyone. You did nothing wrong by asking for help. The mistake is in who answers.
How does the scam work, step by step?
- The first scam. You lose money to a fake investment, a fake official, a fake job or a fake relationship.
- Your name is passed on. Scammers or list buyers hold your details (FTC).
- The call, text or message arrives. The FTC and others list contact right after you reported a loss as a red flag. The caller says they are an agency, a law firm or a recovery group.
- The promise. They say they can get your money back.
- The fee. You must pay first: an upfront fee, a "tax" or a "verification" payment.
- The ask for access. They want remote access to your device or your banking logins (CAFC).
- The pressure. They push you to act today and not to tell your bank. The CAFC says it and the police will never ask you to transfer funds or make a payment.
- More fees. Another charge follows, and the money does not come.
Source: US FTC Consumer Advice alert, 3 August 2026; Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre "Recovery pitch" page, read 4 October 2026; UK Financial Conduct Authority, read 4 October 2026.
How can I tell a fake recovery offer from real help?
| Question | Recovery scam | Real route |
|---|---|---|
| Who made first contact? | They contacted you, out of the blue | You contacted your bank or the police |
| Is there an upfront fee? | Yes: fees, a "tax" or a "verification" payment | No. The FTC says agencies and legitimate organisations never ask for money or financial information for this |
| What do they ask for? | Bank login, remote access, financial information | You give details of the transaction when you make a report |
| How do they talk? | Act today, keep it quiet | You can take time and tell someone you trust |
| Can you check them? | Only on a number or link they give you | On the organisation's official website, not the number or link in the message (NCSC) |
Source: our comparison of FTC (3 August 2026), CAFC (read 4 October 2026) and UK NCSC phishing guidance (read 4 October 2026).
What does a real case look like?
We did not find a documented court case that is a pure recovery-room scam. There is a closely related "offer of help" scam, with the same bait and switch.
Case: the timeshare exit offer (UK, 2025)
What happened. A group cold called and advertised to timeshare owners, offering help to get out of their timeshares. Victims were instead pushed to buy worthless investment products costing £6,000 to £80,000. The Crown Prosecution Service reports £28 million lost across over 3,500 victims. Fourteen people were dealt with, with sentences from 18-month suspended terms to 7.5 years in prison.
The tell. The help offer came to the victims, by a cold call or an advert they did not look for. Then the "help" turned into a payment for something else.
What the official advice says. For any unexpected message, the NCSC advises contacting the organisation using details from its official website, not the number or link in the message.
Source: Crown Prosecution Service, news release on fourteen people sentenced (sentences passed January to October 2025); UK NCSC phishing guidance, read 4 October 2026. These are prosecution outcomes as reported by the CPS.
What are the real routes to try instead?
None of these is a promise. Some people get money back, and many do not. But these routes are the official ones, and none needs a fee to a stranger.
India
Call 1930, the national cyber fraud helpline, as soon as money is lost. Then report on cybercrime.gov.in. Speed matters, because banks can place a lien on the amount if the report is fast. A refund then depends on police and courts.
Be realistic about outcomes. Across financial years 2023-24 to 2025-26, the Ministry of Home Affairs reports more than Rs 56,087 crore reported lost, more than Rs 9,079 crore marked as lien, and more than Rs 206 crore refunded.
Source: PIB, Ministry of Home Affairs, 22 July 2026 (financial years 2023-24 to 2025-26). Figures are "more than" amounts as reported by the Ministry.
United States
Contact your bank straight away and ask for a recall of the transfer. Then file a complaint at ic3.gov with full transaction details. Also report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you are 60 or older, the US Department of Justice lists a National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311, open 7 days a week, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Freezes sometimes work. In 2025, for victims aged 60 and over, the IC3 Recovery Asset Team handled 642 incidents with $65,367,648 reported lost, of which $32,865,655 was frozen. That is a process that can work quickly. It is not a promise.
Source: FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report (calendar 2025); US DOJ page on the Elder Fraud Hotline as stated there.
United Kingdom
Tell your bank at once, then report to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). In Scotland, contact Police Scotland. Ask your bank whether your payment is covered by the APP scam reimbursement rules. These rules began on 7 October 2024.
- Banks must reimburse within 5 business days, though the clock can pause. The claim must close before the 35th business day.
- The maximum is £85,000 per claim. A firm may apply an excess of up to £100.
- Claims can be refused if made more than 13 months after the final payment.
Source: Payment Systems Regulator, policy statement PS25/5 (May 2025). We did not check for rule changes after May 2025. Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025 (City of London Police announcement via Wired-Gov).
Canada
The CAFC says never pay an advance fee to obtain a refund, never allow an unknown person remote access to your device, and never be afraid to hang up. Contact local police or the CAFC directly. The CAFC says it and the police will never ask you to transfer funds or make a payment of any kind.
Source: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, "Recovery pitch" page, read 4 October 2026.
What to do now
- Do not pay any fee to anyone who promises to recover your money.
- Do not share bank logins, OTPs, card details or remote access.
- Hang up. Do not call back on the number they gave you.
- If you already paid, tell your bank at once and ask what can be done.
- Report to your official channel: 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in (India), ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov (US), Report Fraud (UK), the CAFC or local police (Canada).
- Keep screenshots, call times and payment receipts. Do not delete messages.
- Tell one trusted person. Secrecy helps the scammer, not you.
- Forward scam texts to 7726 and scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk if you are in the UK.
Source: FTC (3 August 2026), CAFC (read 4 October 2026), UK NCSC phishing guidance (read 4 October 2026), PIB (22 July 2026), FBI IC3 2025 Annual Report.
Common questions
Can anyone get my scammed money back for a fee?
No stranger who contacts you can safely promise that. The FTC says not to trust someone who contacts you claiming they can recover your lost money. It also says government agencies and legitimate organisations will never ask for money or financial information to help.
Why did they contact me right after I reported the scam?
The FTC says refund and recovery scammers buy lists of people who have already been scammed. Being contacted soon after a loss or a report is a red flag. We cannot tell you how your details reached a list, so do not trust the caller, and report the contact.
What if I already paid a recovery fee?
Tell your bank straight away and ask what can be done. Report the payment too, using the routes above for your country. We cannot say whether the money can be returned. Do not pay anything further, however convincing the next message sounds.
Is any recovery help free?
The official routes above are where to start. The FTC and the CAFC both say that government agencies, the police and legitimate organisations will not ask you for money for this. In India that is 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in. No route gives certainty, but none needs a fee paid to a stranger.
Can the scammer have my banking details?
If you shared logins, OTPs or gave remote access, treat it as urgent. Contact your bank using details from its official website, not from the caller. Ask them to secure your account. Never share these with a caller, even one who says they are helping you.
Keep reading
- What to do in the first hour after a scam
- How scammers manipulate you
- How to check a suspicious message
- Scam help: India, United States, United Kingdom, Canada
- Scam statistics by country
- Digital arrest scam in India
- Our charter and how we source facts
Sources checked 3 October 2026
- US FTC Consumer Advice alert, recovery scammers (3 August 2026)
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Recovery pitch (Page read 4 October 2026)
- UK Financial Conduct Authority, Protect yourself from scams (Page read 4 October 2026)
- FTC prepared statement to the Joint Economic Committee (25 March 2026; calendar year 2025 data and 2024 estimate)
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Annual Report (Calendar year 2025)
- UK Finance, Annual Fraud Report 2026 (2025)
- Payment Systems Regulator, PS25/5 APP scams reimbursement policy statement (May 2025; rules in force since 7 October 2024)
- UK NCSC, Phishing guidance (Page read 4 October 2026)
- Crown Prosecution Service, fourteen people face justice over GBP 28 million investment fraud (Sentences passed January to October 2025)
- National Anti-Scam Centre, Targeting Scams Report 2025 (Calendar year 2025)
- PIB, Ministry of Home Affairs, National Cybercrime Response Mechanism (22 July 2026; financial years 2023-24 to 2025-26)
- City of London Police Report Fraud launch (via Wired-Gov) (4 December 2025)
- US Department of Justice archived release (National Elder Fraud Hotline details) (Undated archived page)
Figures are as reported by the named agencies for the periods shown. Reporting rules differ by country, so totals are not directly comparable.