Real Account Recovery vs Recovery Scam
How to tell a genuine platform account-recovery process from a fake recovery service that takes your money or credentials and delivers nothing.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
When you lose access to an account or funds, recovery scammers target you at your most desperate. They impersonate official support, promise guaranteed retrieval, and charge upfront fees — then disappear or ask for even more money.
Side-by-side comparison
| Genuine account recovery | Recovery scam | |
|---|---|---|
| Who initiates contact | You open a support ticket through the platform's verified Help centre URL | They contact you after you post about your loss on social media or a forum |
| Upfront fee | Legitimate platforms never charge to recover your own account | Demands payment before any work begins; fee often escalates |
| Guarantee | No guarantees; recovery depends on policy and verification | Claims '100% guaranteed' recovery — impossible for crypto or deleted accounts |
| Credentials requested | Uses identity verification; never asks for your password or seed phrase | Requests password, seed phrase, or remote access to 'run recovery software' |
| Communication channel | Official ticketing system or in-app support chat with verified sender | WhatsApp, Telegram, or personal email from an address resembling the platform |
| Outcome | Transparent process with clear timelines even if recovery fails | Delays, excuses, and requests for additional fees; account never recovered |
Common red flags
- Contacted you after you publicly mentioned a loss or locked account
- Asks for upfront payment before any recovery work
- Claims a guaranteed result for crypto or deleted-account recovery
- Requests your password, seed phrase, or screen-sharing access
- Communicates only via WhatsApp, Telegram, or unofficial email
Verification steps
- Use only the Help or Support link from the platform's verified official website — not links from search ads or social media replies
- Check the platform's community forums to see if third-party 'recovery agents' are flagged as scams
- Report the contact to the platform so they can warn other users
What not to do
- Do not pay any upfront fee to a recovery service that contacted you unsolicited
- Do not share your password, seed phrase, or two-factor codes with any third party
- Do not share your screen with someone claiming to run recovery software
A safe response
Ignore the unsolicited contact and go directly to the platform's official Help centre. If real funds were lost to fraud, file a report with your national consumer protection or cybercrime authority.
Frequently asked questions
Are there any legitimate crypto recovery services?
Legitimate blockchain forensic firms exist for law-enforcement-scale investigations, but they cannot reverse confirmed transactions. Any consumer-facing service charging upfront fees and promising guaranteed recovery of crypto is almost certainly a scam.
What if the recovery service knew details about my original loss?
Scammers monitor public posts and forums, so they may already know details you shared publicly. This does not make them legitimate.