Recovery Scam UK: Spot a Fake 'Get Your Money Back' Firm
If someone has contacted you promising to recover lost money—and wants payment upfront—you are almost certainly facing a recovery scam.
What a recovery scam looks like
A recovery scam targets people who have already lost money to fraud. A caller or emailer claims to be a lawyer, investigator, government body, bank team, or "recovery agent" who can get your money back, but asks for an upfront fee, taxes, or "release charges" first. An example of the style is: We've traced £3,200 of your lost funds and can recover it. A £250 release fee is required before the transfer can be processed.
The recovery is not real - it is a second scam aimed at people already known to have been defrauded once. This guide shows the warning signs, how to check, and what to do if you have already paid.
Why these scams work
Having already lost money makes the promise of getting it back feel like a lifeline. Fraudsters may also target you again, or sell your details to other criminals, so a second caller may already know exactly what happened to you. A confident, official-sounding caller with some of your case details can feel credible.
The rule that protects you: official recovery routes - your bank, the police, Report Fraud, or the Financial Ombudsman - do not ask you to pay an upfront "release fee" to receive money that is supposedly already recovered. An unsolicited recovery offer that asks for payment before recovery is a scam sign.
Signs a recovery offer is a scam
- You are contacted unexpectedly about money you have already lost to a scam.
- You are asked to pay a fee, tax, or "release charge" before any money is returned.
- The caller claims to be a lawyer, investigator, government body, regulator, or your bank's "recovery team".
- They already know details of your earlier loss.
- You are pressured to act quickly or told the offer will expire.
- You are asked to pay by transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency.
- The contact guarantees recovery or claims money is already waiting, but will not release it until you pay.
How the scam works
First, you are contacted out of the blue, often naming your earlier loss to sound credible. Second, they claim to have traced or recovered your money. Third, they ask for an upfront fee, tax, or charge before releasing it. Fourth, you pay and the promised recovery never arrives - or more fees are demanded. Finally, contact stops.
Knowing that official recovery routes do not charge an upfront release fee is the strongest protection.
How to check a recovery offer safely
Treat any unsolicited recovery contact as a scam until proven otherwise.
- Do not pay any fee, tax, or charge to receive money that is supposedly already yours.
- Contact your bank directly yourself about any ongoing case - do not use a number a caller gives you.
- Report actual fraud losses through Report Fraud and your bank, not a stranger who contacts you.
- If the caller claims to be from the Financial Ombudsman, FCA, police, or your bank, end the contact and use the official website or a number you find yourself.
- If a fee is requested by transfer, gift card, or crypto, treat it as fraud.
- Remember that fraudsters may target previous victims again, or sell their details to other criminals.
If you are unsure whether a linked page is genuine, our guide on Is This Website a Scam? A Practical Checklist Before You Buy helps, and our Advance Fee Scam UK: How to Spot and Stop Upfront Payment Frauds guide covers the wider upfront-fee pattern.
If you have already paid a 'recovery' fee
If you paid by card, contact your bank or card issuer using the number on your card and ask about disputing the payment or a chargeback. If you sent money by UK bank transfer on or after 7 October 2024, mandatory APP fraud reimbursement rules may apply to Faster Payments and CHAPS transfers. The PSR rules include a 13-month claim window, a maximum claim amount of £85,000, possible exclusions, and a possible excess of up to £100. Report it to your bank as soon as possible.
Stop all contact with the "recovery agent" and do not send further payments, however convincing their follow-up story. If you shared identity details, consider Cifas Protective Registration at cifas.org.uk and monitor your credit reports with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Keep every message, name, and payment reference as evidence - it will help link your case to others.
How to report a recovery scam (UK)
If the contact came by email, forward it to the NCSC at report@phishing.gov.uk; if by text, forward it to 7726.
If you lost money or shared sensitive information, report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 if you are in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101. Tell your original bank about the new contact too, as recovery scams are often linked to the original fraud.
Frequently asked questions
Are recovery companies ever legitimate, or are they all scams?
Some professional advisers or claims firms may offer legitimate services, but an unsolicited promise to recover scam losses for an upfront release fee is highly suspicious. Official routes such as your bank, the police, Report Fraud, and the Financial Ombudsman do not charge you a fee to release your own recovered money.
A caller already knew details about the scam I lost money to - does that make them genuine?
No. Fraudsters may target you again or sell your details to other criminals, so knowing your case details proves nothing. It can be exactly how recovery scammers make the second approach sound real.
Why would a genuine recovery route not ask for a release fee first?
Because official recovery routes do not make you pay a tax, insurance fee, or release charge before handing over money that is supposedly already recovered. A fee-before-release demand is the warning sign.
I've already paid a recovery fee - can I get that back?
Possibly. If you paid by card, ask your bank about a chargeback. Eligible UK transfers since 7 October 2024 may fall under APP reimbursement rules, subject to limits and exclusions. Stop all further payments and report it.
How do I report a recovery scam?
Forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and scam texts to 7726. If you lost money or shared details, report it to Report Fraud in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland.