Recovery Scams in Uruguay
Recovery scams target Uruguayans who already lost money to fraud, posing as recovery agents or officials who promise to retrieve funds for an upfront fee.
Part of: Recovery Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Recovery scams prey on people who have already been defrauded — often through crypto, investment, or trading scams — by promising to recover their lost money for a fee. The 'recovery agent', 'cyber-investigator', or supposed official takes the upfront payment and delivers nothing, inflicting a painful second loss.
In Uruguay, where investment and crypto fraud reaches local victims, a convincing offer of help can be tempting. Scammers sometimes obtain victim lists from earlier frauds and target the same people directly.
How this scam works on Uruguay
A victim of an earlier scam is contacted by someone claiming to be a recovery specialist, a lawyer, a blockchain analyst, or an official from a regulator or law-enforcement body. They claim to have traced the stolen funds and can return them once the victim pays a 'fee', 'tax', 'unlock charge', or 'commission' upfront.
They present fake documents, dashboards showing the 'recovered' funds, or official-looking credentials to appear legitimate. As with the original scam, each payment triggers a new demand — a 'release tax', a 'compliance fee' — and no money is ever returned. Some impersonate the very authorities a victim might turn to for help.
The approach exploits desperation and hope, and the second loss can be as large as the first.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited contact offering to recover money you previously lost
- Any request for an upfront fee, tax, or commission to release recovered funds
- Claims to have already 'located' or 'frozen' your stolen money
- Fake dashboards or documents showing funds ready to be returned
- Impersonation of regulators, police, lawyers, or blockchain investigators
- Pressure to act quickly before the recovered funds are 'lost again'
- Contact details that cannot be independently verified
How to protect yourself
- Treat any unsolicited recovery offer as a follow-up scam
- Never pay an upfront fee to recover lost money — legitimate processes do not work this way
- Verify any agency or official independently through official channels before engaging
- Be wary if the contact knows details of your original loss — scammers share victim lists
- Consult official law-enforcement or regulatory bodies directly for genuine help
- Do not share further banking or identity details with self-proclaimed recovery agents
How to report it
- Report to the Uruguayan police cybercrime unit
- File a complaint with the Fiscalia, keeping all messages and payment records
- Warn other victims and online groups so they recognise the recovery-scam pattern
Frequently asked questions
Can anyone legitimately recover my lost crypto in Uruguay for an upfront fee?
Be extremely sceptical. Genuine recovery of crypto is rare and difficult, and almost anyone who contacts you unsolicited demanding an upfront fee to recover funds is running a second scam. Report through official channels instead.