Recovery Scams in Brazil
Fraudulent fund recovery services targeting Brazilian victims of prior investment and crypto scams, charging fees to 'recover' lost funds that are never returned.
Part of: Recovery Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Recovery scams compound the harm of prior fraud by targeting victims who have already lost money to investment or pig-butchering scams. In Brazil, these secondary frauds are especially prevalent because victims who have lost significant sums via PIX or crypto are desperate for solutions and may be willing to pay for promised recovery services.
Fraudulent recovery operators find victims through scam-victim support groups on Facebook and Telegram, or by purchasing data from scam operators who sell victim lists to recovery scam networks.
How this scam works on Brazil
A victim of an investment or crypto scam receives a message from someone claiming to be a cyber law specialist, 'blockchain recovery expert', or financial crimes investigator who has heard about their case and can recover the lost funds. The initial contact may reference specific details about the original scam — making it seem legitimate.
The recovery operator charges an upfront retainer fee, then a 'legal filing fee', then additional charges for 'court certification' as the process supposedly advances. The victim receives fabricated documentation showing apparent progress. Eventually the recovery operator also vanishes.
Some Brazilian recovery scams operate as fake government agencies or associations with official-sounding names and websites, claiming authority to recover funds from financial crimes.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited contact from someone claiming they can recover funds from a previous scam
- Specific knowledge of your prior scam loss details — possibly obtained from victim data sold by original scammer
- Upfront fees required before recovery work begins
- Chain of escalating fees as 'recovery' progresses
- Recovery agent cannot provide verifiable credentials as a licensed Brazilian attorney or forensic specialist
- Communication exclusively via WhatsApp or Telegram rather than official legal channels
How to protect yourself
- Legitimate fund recovery after fraud is generally pursued through Brazilian courts with a licensed lawyer (OAB-registered advogado) — not through independent recovery agents
- Verify any attorney's registration on the OAB (Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil) directory at oab.org.br
- Contact Bareskrim or the Polícia Civil directly rather than through intermediaries
- Be especially skeptical of unsolicited recovery offers from people who somehow know about your case
- Report recovery scam contacts to Bareskrim at patrolisiber.id
How to report it
- Report recovery scams to the Polícia Civil cybercrime unit in your state
- File a complaint with CVM at cvm.gov.br if investment fraud was involved
- Report OAB impersonation to the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil at oab.org.br
Frequently asked questions
Can a legitimate Brazilian lawyer recover crypto or PIX funds sent to a scammer?
A licensed Brazilian attorney (advogado) can pursue civil and criminal legal action that may result in account freezes and judgments, but success depends on whether the fraudster can be identified and assets located. There are no guaranteed recovery services. Payments upfront to unlicensed 'recovery agents' are almost always a secondary scam.