DateableHow "we can get your money back" scams work
After you have been scammed, strangers offer to recover your money for a fee or percentage. They will not return it: they take more from you instead.
After a scam, you will hear from strangers offering to get your money back for a fee or a percentage of what they recover. They will not recover your money: they will take a fee or a percentage, and then take more.
They target you because you have already lost money
Recovery scammers deliberately target people who have already been scammed 1. They know you are grieving the loss, angry at yourself for falling for it, and desperate to get the money back. That desperation is what makes you vulnerable to a second scam.
After the first scam, your guard is down. When someone calls or emails claiming they can recover your money, it feels like luck or justice. You want it to be true. Recovery scammers count on that and exploit your hope.
This second scam can hurt worse than the first because now you know what losing money feels like, and you will do almost anything to fix it.
Who they claim to be
Recovery scammers pose as government officials, lawyers, police or charities 1. They may claim to work for a federal agency, a financial crimes unit, a law firm or a private recovery firm. They use official-sounding titles, reference real agencies, and quote real regulations to seem legitimate.
Some claim they are investigating the original scammers and have recovered or seized your money. They will tell you they need you to pay a processing fee, a verification fee, or taxes before they can return it to you. The money does not exist. They are lying.
Others claim they need to verify your identity to release funds. They ask for your bank account, credit card, date of birth, or social security number. If you give it to them, they can take out more money or open accounts in your name.
What they ask from you and why you won't get it back
They ask you to pay an upfront fee or agree to give them a percentage of the money they claim to recover. The fee can be hundreds or thousands of dollars. They ask for payment by bank transfer, wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency.
Once you pay, they disappear. You will not recover any stolen money 1. The scammer keeps the fee or percentage you paid them. The money you just sent them is gone.
If by some unlikely chance they ask for more money later, for taxes or updated fees, you may pay again, losing more and more. Each time you think the money is close enough to justify one more payment.
Why legitimate recovery does not work this way
Real recovery is rare and slow. Banks may refund some money if you report fraud quickly, but this is their own process, free, and you do not pay anyone a percentage. Law enforcement may recover money in criminal cases, but this takes years and goes to the government or victims' funds, not directly to you.
There is no legitimate company that finds you after a scam and offers to recover your money for an upfront fee. If someone calls you unprompted claiming they found your money and asking you to pay to get it back, that person is scamming you.
The original scammer is gone. Your money is gone. No one can get it back by making a call or sending a file. Recovery scams are a second theft: the first took money you had, and the second takes money you cannot afford to lose.
How to respond if someone contacts you
Reject recovery offers from strangers and work directly with your bank 1. Do not engage with anyone who contacts you first offering recovery services. Do not give them your name, date of birth, bank account, credit card, PIN, or any other personal information.
I'm going to hang up. If I lost money to a scam, I will contact my bank and report it to Scamwatch myself.
Then hang up, close the message, or block the sender. Do not let them explain further. Do not give them a chance to build trust.
If you have been scammed and want help
Contact IDCARE 2. It is free and helps people in Australia and New Zealand affected by scams and cybercrime. Call 1800 595 160 Monday to Friday between 7am and 7pm AEST, or from overseas call +61 7 3555 5900 2.
- Your bank, who you call directly using the number on the back of your card or your bank statement. Your bank has your transaction records and can investigate.
- Scamwatch: report the scam here and tell your bank.
- IDCARE: free support for people in Australia and New Zealand who have been affected by scams.
Being scammed is not your fault. If something has gone wrong, these resources exist to help you, and they are free. Do not pay a second time to someone promising to fix the first scam. If you need further support, Dateable can help.
Sources
- Scamwatch (ACCC) (2026). Money recovery scams.
- IDCARE (2026). IDCARE.
