SCAM AWARENESS EDUCATION SERIES

Account Recovery Specialists Are Lying to you: The Recovery Scam Explained

Being locked out of an online account—whether it’s email, social media, or a crypto wallet—is an exploitable vulnerability. You might search for help and encounter a person or company calling themselves an “Account Recovery Specialist,” “Hacker for Hire,” or “Asset Recovery Firm.”

Stop right there. The unfortunate truth is that a vast majority of these specialists are scammers who are targeting you when you’re at your weakest. They are not here to help; they are here to take your money and often your remaining personal information.

This is the Recovery Scam, a nasty form of fraud where criminals target those who have already been victimized, promising to retrieve lost funds or access for a fee. Here is how the scam works, the lies they tell, and how you can actually recover your accounts safely.

The Anatomy of the Lie: How The Recovery Scam Works

Recovery scams follow a predictable and insidious pattern, preying on a victim’s desperation and hope.

1. The “Sucker List”

The first red flag is often how they find you. Scammers frequently buy or trade “sucker lists”—databases of individuals who have previously fallen for a scam (like a phishing attack or investment fraud). They know you’ve lost money and are likely still looking for a solution.

2. The Unsolicited, Official-Sounding Contact

The “specialist” will reach out via email, text, social media comment, or even a phone call, often out of the blue. They use official-sounding titles—like “Consumer Advocacy Group,” “IT Security Firm,” or “Government Liaison”—and may even impersonate a real firm or person.

Their communication is designed to be highly persuasive:

They often know details about your initial loss (which they bought on the list), making them seem legitimate.
They create an extreme sense of urgency, claiming you must act now or the chance to recover your assets will be lost forever.

3. The Big Lie: Guaranteed Recovery for an Upfront Fee

They will tell you:

“We can guarantee you will get your money/account back, but we need an upfront fee for our ‘specialized’ services.”

The fee is often called a “retainer,” “administrative charge,” “processing fee,” or even “tax.” Once you pay this fee—often requested via irreversible methods like wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency—the scammers have what they want.

4. The Second-Round Sting: Endless Demands

If you pay the initial fee, the demands will almost certainly not stop. They will return with new lies, claiming unexpected hurdles have appeared:

“We need an extra payment for specialized software.”
“There’s an unforeseen government tax we must pay to release your funds.”
“Your recovery requires a higher-priority process with an additional charge.”

This cycle continues until the victim either runs out of money or realizes they are being scammed again, at which point the “specialist” vanishes.

Recognizing the Red Flags of a Recovery Scam

Any company or individual offering to recover lost assets or accounts should be viewed with extreme skepticism. Be on alert for these critical red flags:

Red Flag	The Lie	The Truth
Unsolicited Contact	“We found your case and want to help.”	Legitimate services are rarely proactive and are found via verified research, not random contact.
Upfront Fees	“This is a retainer/processing fee to start the work.”	Legitimate legal or investigative services bill for work performed or have transparent, legally-backed contracts. Never pay an upfront fee to “start” a recovery.
Payment Method	“You must pay via gift card, wire transfer, or crypto.”	Scammers demand untraceable payment. Legitimate businesses use secure, trackable methods like credit cards or bank-to-bank transfers.
Guaranteed Results	“We 100% guarantee your money will be recovered.”	No one can guarantee the return of scammed funds. Anyone who guarantees it is lying.
Special Access Claims	“We have privileged access to the FBI/Google/Official Department.”	No private company has “special access” to bypass the official recovery channels of major platforms or government agencies.
Poor Communication	(Email with generic greeting, typos, and poor grammar.)	Scammers often use generic language, and their communications lack the polish of a professional firm.

The Safe and Free Way to Recover Your Account

If you have been hacked or locked out of an account, ignore the “specialists.” The safest, most effective, and often free path to recovery is to use the official channels provided by the service itself.

Contact the Account Provider Directly: Go to the official website of the platform (Google, Facebook, Instagram, Microsoft, etc.). Search their official help or support pages for their dedicated account recovery or login issue process.
Use Official Recovery Tools: Utilize the platform’s built-in password reset and account recovery forms. These are designed to verify you using your legitimate recovery email, phone number, or security questions.
Secure Everything Else: Immediately change the password on your email account (especially your recovery email) and any other accounts that shared the same password. Enable Two-Factor/Multi-Factor Authentication (2FA/MFA) everywhere possible.
Report the Initial Scam: Report the fraud to local law enforcement and national agencies (like the Federal Trade Commission in the U.S. or the appropriate consumer protection agency in your region). This documentation is crucial.

You should never have to pay a stranger to regain access to your own account. The legitimate recovery process is already provided by the company you have an account with. Stay vigilant, trust official channels only, and do not become a victim twice.

Remember, awareness is your strongest defense.

Please share this guide with friends and colleagues.