Help & reporting
Report a recovery scam — the second wave
After a scam, victims are frequently approached by people offering to recover the money for an advance fee. This is a distinct and very common second fraud. ScamGuide never promises recovery and never asks for a payment to release funds.
What this kind of scam is
- You are contacted, often unprompted, by a 'recovery agent', 'blockchain forensics' outfit or someone claiming to represent an agency.
- They claim your funds have already been located or frozen and only a fee stands in the way.
- The fee escalates: legal costs, taxes, wallet activation, insurance, transfer charges.
Common warning signs
- They contacted you first, especially by direct message, comment reply or cold call.
- Recovery is described as guaranteed, or a specific percentage of success is quoted.
- Payment is requested up front, in cryptocurrency, gift cards or to a personal account.
- They ask for your wallet seed phrase, passwords or remote access to your device.
- Credentials, certificates or agency affiliations cannot be verified independently.
- You are pressured with a deadline before 'the freeze expires'.
Steps to consider now
- 1
Do not pay any advance fee
No legitimate party can guarantee recovery, and none needs your seed phrase or passwords.
- 2
Never share seed phrases or passwords
There is no recovery process that requires them.
- 3
Save the approach
Keep profiles, messages, documents, and any wallet addresses or account numbers they gave you.
- 4
Check claimed credentials independently
Verify registration numbers on official registers, not on documents they supply.
- 5
Report the recovery approach to ScamGuide
These reports directly protect other people who have already been targeted once.
Evidence worth preserving
- Screenshots of every conversation, including profile names, handles and the dates shown.
- Payment records: bank transfer confirmations, card statements, invoices or receipts.
- Cryptocurrency transaction hashes and the destination wallet addresses.
- The website address, app name and any download links you were sent.
- Emails with full headers where possible, plus any documents or contracts you received.
- A short written timeline of what happened and when, made while it is still fresh.
How ScamGuide works
- 1. You submit a structured report through a guided wizard — no legal or technical knowledge needed.
- 2. A private case is created with a reference number, timeline and secure evidence vault.
- 3. A case specialist reviews the details and communicates with you in an encrypted, private thread.
- 4. You explore the recovery and reporting options that realistically apply to your circumstances.
- 5. A sanitised, moderated summary may be published so other people can search it. You are never named.
Frequently asked questions
ScamGuide documents your case, preserves evidence and helps you understand possible next steps. It does not guarantee recovery and does not charge a fee to release funds.
Ready to document what happened?
Reporting is free and takes a few minutes. You can search existing reports first — try a recovery agent, company or wallet address.