What are the red flags of this scam?

The caller says they know exactly which previous scam you lost money to and mention specific amounts — victim lists are sold and re-used • They claim to be FCA-registered, but the firm number they give doesn't appear in the FCA Register at https://register.fca.org.uk • They guarantee recovery — no legitimate recovery service can promise this, and the FCA does not endorse third-party recovery firms • You are asked to pay an upfront 'retainer', 'legal fee', 'court fee', or 'international transfer tax' before any money is recovered • Payment is demanded by bank transfer, crypto, or gift card — never through solicitor's client account or via an FCA-authorised firm

What should I do if this happened to me?

Any unsolicited call offering to recover money you have lost is almost certainly a scam — hang up and block the number • Check whether any firm calling you is FCA-authorised by searching the FCA Register at https://register.fca.org.uk yourself — do not rely on the firm number they give you over the phone • If you were scammed originally, contact your bank first — under the Contingent Reimbursement Model Code, many banks refund victims of Authorised Push Payment fraud when reported promptly • For unresolved bank disputes, go to the Financial Ombudsman Service at https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk — this service is free and requires no upfront fee • If you installed any 'support' or 'server' or 'refund app' or remote-access app at the scammer's request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.), run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it. • Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

HIGH other Last reported: 24 Oct 2026 Share

A "fund recovery" firm calls after you've been scammed — but you have to pay upfront

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. After you have lost money to a previous scam, a caller says they are a solicitor, "asset recovery agent", or FCA-approved firm who can trace and recover your money — for an upfront fee. This is a second, coordinated scam using lists of victims sold between fraud gangs. Legitimate recovery is done through your bank, the FCA, and the Financial Ombudsman — never a cold caller.

After you have lost money to a previous scam, a caller says they are a solicitor, "asset recovery agent", or FCA-approved firm who can trace and recover your money — for an upfront fee. This is a second, coordinated scam using lists of victims sold between fraud gangs. Legitimate recovery is done through your bank, the FCA, and the Financial Ombudsman — never a cold caller.

Also known as: fund recovery scam, advance fee recovery fraud, crypto recovery scam UK, FCA impersonation recovery scam

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
! If you installed any "support", "server", "refund", or remote-access app at their request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.): disconnect the internet now, then run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it.

What to do right now

1 Any unsolicited call offering to recover money you have lost is almost certainly a scam — hang up and block the number
2 Check whether any firm calling you is FCA-authorised by searching the FCA Register at https://register.fca.org.uk yourself — do not rely on the firm number they give you over the phone
3 If you were scammed originally, contact your bank first — under the Contingent Reimbursement Model Code, many banks refund victims of Authorised Push Payment fraud when reported promptly
4 For unresolved bank disputes, go to the Financial Ombudsman Service at https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk — this service is free and requires no upfront fee
5 If you installed any 'support' or 'server' or 'refund app' or remote-access app at the scammer's request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.), run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it.
6 Report to Report Fraud at https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Was remote-access software installed?

If a scammer asked you to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, or any remote-access app, your device may still be compromised.

Run SeraphSecure to detect and remove it →

Red flags

⚠ The caller says they know exactly which previous scam you lost money to and mention specific amounts — victim lists are sold and re-used
⚠ They claim to be FCA-registered, but the firm number they give doesn't appear in the FCA Register at https://register.fca.org.uk
⚠ They guarantee recovery — no legitimate recovery service can promise this, and the FCA does not endorse third-party recovery firms
⚠ You are asked to pay an upfront 'retainer', 'legal fee', 'court fee', or 'international transfer tax' before any money is recovered
⚠ Payment is demanded by bank transfer, crypto, or gift card — never through solicitor's client account or via an FCA-authorised firm

Known variants

Fake FCA employee variant: caller claims to be an FCA case officer with a badge number, offering to release compensation from a 'consumer recovery fund' for a small processing fee. The FCA received 4,465 such reports in H1 2026; two-thirds of victims were 56+. The real FCA never charges consumers to release money.

Last seen: 10/4/2026
Crypto recovery specialist variant: on Telegram or Instagram, an account claiming to be a 'blockchain forensics expert' offers to trace and recover lost crypto for a fee. Victims pay in the same crypto they lost, then lose that too. Common target: previous pig-butchering victims.

Last seen: 6/15/2026
FCA 'Final Notice' account-seizure email claims a dormant account in your name holds a large sum (e.g. £191,000) that will be seized in seven days unless you pay an 'administration fee'. Exploits fear (deadline) and greed (forgotten windfall). The real FCA never contacts consumers to release funds.

Last seen: 10/4/2026
Fake FCA CCJ payment demand: scammers email consumers claiming their creditors have taken out a County Court Judgement against them and that they must pay the FCA directly to settle it. The FCA never collects CCJ payments, never initiates contact by cold email demanding payment, and would not ask consumers to transfer money to the regulator.

Last seen: 10/4/2026
Trustpilot fake recovery firm: scammers set up fake 'recovery specialist' pages with fabricated reviews, AI-generated photos and false FCA registration numbers, targeting previous fraud victims. Which? found 5,553 Action Fraud reports totalling £185M in losses in a 12-month window to Nov 2025.

Last seen: 10/24/2026

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Known variants

Sources