A crypto recovery scam targets people who have already lost money and promises to get it back in exchange for an upfront fee. The warning signs are guaranteed results, contact you did not initiate, payment requested in crypto, claims of “hacking” the scammer or of special access to the blockchain, and pressure to act fast. No legitimate firm can guarantee recovery: only issuers, exchanges and authorities can freeze or return funds.
How these scams work
Victims of a first fraud are easy to find: they post in forums and social media, leave reviews, or appear in lists sold between criminal groups. Shortly afterwards they are contacted by a “recovery expert”, a “law firm” or even someone posing as police, a regulator or an international agency. Sometimes the contact comes from the same group that stole the funds.
The scheme then asks for money: a fee to start, a “tax” or “release charge” to unlock funds that have supposedly been found, or a deposit to “verify” a wallet.
Warning signs
- Recovery is guaranteed, or a percentage of success is promised.
- You were contacted first, via social media, messaging apps or comments.
- Payment is requested upfront, in crypto or by gift card.
- They claim to hack wallets, reverse transactions or use secret blockchain tools.
- They impersonate authorities or use logos of real firms with different contact details.
- They ask for your seed phrase, remote access to your device or new deposits.
What legitimate help looks like
A legitimate adviser is an identifiable company or lawyer, with a registered address you can check in the company register of its country (for example the Swiss commercial register or Companies House in the UK) and, for lawyers, in the bar register. It explains the limits of what can be done, works under a written mandate, and delivers concrete work: a tracing report, freeze requests, support for the complaint. It never asks for your seed phrase and never promises that the funds will come back.
If you have already paid
Stop all payments and contacts. Keep the chats, payment details and addresses, and report the second fraud to the police in the same way as the first: it is a separate offence, and its addresses can also be traced. If someone claims to be from a police force or regulator, contact that body yourself through the details on its official website.
How Advisorn helps
Advisorn Forensics does not promise recovery and does not ask for access to your wallets. If you have received a recovery offer, we can check the addresses involved before you decide anything.
Examples: Swiss Criminal Code art. 146 (fraud); Italian Criminal Code art. 640 (fraud).
Updated November 2026 · General information, not legal or tax advice on your specific case.