Should I pay a recovery agent to get my money back?
No. Legitimate recovery never requires an upfront fee. Unsolicited 'recovery agents' who guarantee results are almost always scammers targeting victims a second time.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Explanation
No. Legitimate organisations never charge an upfront fee to recover your money. After a scam, victims are often contacted by people posing as recovery agents, lawyers, regulators, or police who claim they can retrieve the funds for a fee, sometimes quoting details from the original scam to sound convincing. These offers are follow-up scams, and paying typically means losing more money to the same network. Genuine help is free to start: your bank or card provider can attempt a recall or chargeback, and your national fraud service can log the case for investigators. Pressure, secrecy, or guaranteed results are themselves proof an offer is not legitimate. Block and report the contact, and if you have already paid a recovery agent, tell your bank straight away. None of this is your fault; these operations deliberately target people who have already been scammed, precisely because they know you are motivated and searching for help.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited contact offering to recover your losses
- Guaranteed recovery for an upfront fee
- Claims to be an official body but contacts you privately
- Pressure and secrecy
What to do now
- Don't pay any upfront fee
- Work only with your bank and official fraud services
- Block and report the recovery agent
Frequently asked questions
How did the recovery agent know I was scammed?
Scammers trade lists of previous victims and monitor public complaints. If you've been scammed or posted about it, expect recovery-scam attempts.
What does legitimate recovery help look like?
It starts free and comes from organisations you contact — your bank or card provider (recalls and chargebacks), your national fraud service, and the platform involved. None of them guarantee results, demand secrecy, or ask for fees in crypto or gift cards.