This page summarizes a repeat pattern from anonymized reports. It does not identify a specific person and is not legal advice.
People who have already lost money to a scam are targeted again by fake "recovery" services or people impersonating the FBI/IC3, who promise to get the money back for an upfront fee and then disappear. The FBI has warned that criminals impersonate IC3 itself for this.
What people report
Prior victim is contacted -> "we can recover your funds" -> upfront fee or crypto payment required -> more information and money extracted -> no recovery.
Warning signs
Unsolicited offer to recover scammed funds; an upfront fee or "tax/retainer"; claims to be law enforcement or a licensed recovery firm; found you in a victims' group.
Safety warning
Real law enforcement and IC3 never charge a fee to recover funds or contact victims promising to get money back.
Suggested next steps
Treat any upfront-fee recovery offer as a second scam. Report it to IC3.gov and warn others.
If this scam profile looks similar to what happened to you, you can submit your case for review. Your report can help identify patterns, support other victims, and strengthen scam prevention efforts.
Follow this pattern
Get digests and optional CRITICAL SMS when this published pattern changes (high-confidence only).
Unsolicited DMs to members of victim/support groups
Linked cases: 45 · Occurrences: 55
Impersonated FBI/IC3 or "licensed" fund-recovery firms
Linked cases: 60 · Occurrences: 70
These published profiles may share similar indicators or scam patterns.
imposter
Callers or texts pose as the IRS, SSA, FTC, or local police, claiming you owe money or your identity is compromised, and demand instant payment by gift card, wire, or cryptocurrency to "protect" you. Imposter scams are the FTC's #1 reported category for the ninth year running.
