Is a recovery service genuine? Checks before you pay
Checked by The Proofmark editorial team against our methodology before publishing
The Proofmark · Our methodology
Someone calls about money you lost. They know the platform's name. They say your funds have been found. All you need to do is pay a release charge.
Pause before paying. Knowing your loss does not prove the caller can help. This guide gives you a way to check the offer, rather than another promise of recovery.
What should you do before sending money or documents?
- Stop the conversation if you feel pressured. Save the offer, contact details, contract and payment demand.
- Do not share banking passwords, one-time codes or wallet recovery words. Do not give a stranger remote control of your device.
- Verify the claimed firm or authority through contact details you find independently. Do not use only the number in the message.
- If you have paid, contact your bank or payment provider promptly. Explain both the original loss and this new payment. Ask about available steps and deadlines.
The FTC's recovery scam guidance warns that people who have already lost money can be targeted again. The approach may come by phone, email or social media.
How can they know about your earlier loss?
The original criminals may contact you under another name. Your details may also have been passed on or sold. The UK's FCA describes both routes in its recovery room warning.
Do not treat knowledge of your name or loss as proof of official access. A police or regulator logo on a letter is not enough either.
How do you check a recovery service?
Use this checklist before agreeing to paid work. A convincing answer is a starting point for checking, not a guarantee.
| Ask | Check for yourself |
|---|---|
| Who will provide the service? | Full legal name, address and the person responsible. Compare these with independent records. |
| What exactly will you do? | A clear written scope: for example, prepare a complaint or provide legal advice. “Unlock the blockchain” is not a useful explanation. |
| What permission do you need? | Check the relevant professional or financial register for the claimed service and country. |
| What will it cost? | All fixed fees, percentages and possible extra charges. Read cancellation and refund terms. |
| What can you guarantee? | Be wary of certain repayment, secret access or claims that payment is already waiting. |
A company registration is not proof of a lawyer's licence or permission to handle financial claims. If they claim to be a lawyer, check the appropriate legal profession register. Rules depend on where the service is provided.
Contact the genuine firm through independently found details. The FCA warns that fake firms can copy real names, addresses and registration numbers.
Does any upfront fee prove fraud?
Not every paid professional service is fraudulent. A genuine lawyer may charge for agreed work. That is different from an unexpected caller demanding money to release funds supposedly held for you.
Judge the identity, scope, contract and claimed result together. A contract does not make a false promise true. Do not pay a stranger's “tax” or “clearance fee” just because the document looks official.
Can someone trace and recover stolen crypto?
Tracing a transfer and returning money are different things. A report showing a wallet address does not give the writer control of that wallet.
The FBI warns that private recovery firms cannot issue seizure orders. See its warning about crypto recovery claims. An official-looking report does not give a business police powers.
Ask who holds the funds and what lawful process could return them. Be wary if the only answer is to pay more crypto or connect your wallet to an unknown site.
Keep transaction IDs, wallet addresses and exchange records. Contact the exchange you used through its genuine support channel. Do not give anyone your wallet recovery words to “prove ownership”.
What can you do without a recovery company?
Contact the payment provider about the original payment. For a card payment, ask whether a dispute is possible. For a transfer, ask whether a recall or other fraud process is available. These are requests, not guaranteed outcomes.
Report the suspected crime. If your complaint concerns a real financial firm, ask which complaint body covers it. Our reporting guide helps you find routes for your country.
Do not assume a UK compensation scheme, US process or another country's deadline applies to you. Your location, payment, provider and contract all matter.
For a short explanation of the term, see recovery scam.
Want help understanding an offer to recover money?
Have the firm's name, website, promised service and fee demand ready. We can talk through the offer and help you understand the checks and next steps. Our phone consultation is free; it is not a promise to recover funds.
Where to get help in your country
Choose your country to see where to check a company, report a scam and get help.
Choose your country to see local contacts. If it is not listed, you can ask our team for help.
🇬🇧 The United Kingdom
🔎 Check the firm
FCA Firm Checker — Search the firm name, its website, or the reference number it gave you.
🚨 Report it
Report Fraud (City of London Police) — Report online or call 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
↩ Ask for your money back
Financial Ombudsman Service — Complain to the firm first, then bring it here. Free, and it can order the firm to pay.
Every address above was opened and checked by us on 30 September 2026. Tell us if one has moved.
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