Crypto scam safety · English
Stop a crypto recovery fee from becoming a second scam
A post-loss boundary plan for unsolicited recovery claims, advance fees, impersonated agencies, evidence preservation and official reporting without new transfers.

Assume the first loss may attract a second approach
Names, amounts and complaint details can circulate after a scam. A caller who knows accurate facts may still be selling a false recovery. Freeze further transfers and make the claimant prove identity through independently opened official channels.
The FTC warns that refund and recovery scammers contact people who already lost money, promise recovery for a fee and often demand payment through cryptocurrency, wire transfer, gift card or payment app. Map each decision point to the information a person could actually see at that time. For Preserve the approach, preserve channel beside identifier and do not close the question until message is independently checked. Retest the decision after a cooling-off interval.
Preserve the approach
The number, profile and message wording may help connect later reports. Save the original contact, timestamp, claimed organization and requested action. Compare prominence, timing and clarity rather than merely counting disclosures. A useful recovery-claim boundary sheet links timestamp to claimed role, names the origin of Write the promise and explains why price is still relevant. The working row is channel, identifier, message, timestamp and claimed role; its heading is preserve the approach, and its place in the larger record is recovery-claim boundary sheet.
Do not engage long enough to disclose new personal or wallet information. Note when pace, emotion or interface state changed the ability to use information. When identifier and claimed role disagree, retain both observations, recheck Preserve the approach and postpone any decision that depends on Write the promise. Save the original contact, timestamp, claimed organization and requested action. For this preserve the approach decision, compare channel, identifier, message, timestamp and claimed role with recovery-claim boundary sheet and retain the dated mismatch instead of forcing agreement.
Write the promise and price
False recoverers may call a payment tax, bond, legal fee or wallet validation. Record the exact promised outcome, deadline, fee and payment rail. Note when pace, emotion or interface state changed the ability to use information. When identifier and claimed role disagree, retain both observations, recheck Preserve the approach and postpone any decision that depends on Write the promise. The working row is promise, amount, label, payment method and deadline; its heading is write the promise and price, and its place in the larger record is recovery-claim boundary sheet.
A fee label does not make an advance payment legitimate. Preserve the option to pause without losing access to the relevant terms. The reviewer should reproduce message from timestamp, identify the unit attached to channel and see the collection time for price. Record the exact promised outcome, deadline, fee and payment rail. For this write the promise and price decision, compare promise, amount, label, payment method and deadline with recovery-claim boundary sheet and retain the dated mismatch instead of forcing agreement.
Verify the organization independently
Scammers can copy agency names, case numbers and staff titles. Navigate to the organization's official website and use its published contact route. Preserve the option to pause without losing access to the relevant terms. The reviewer should reproduce message from timestamp, identify the unit attached to channel and see the collection time for price. The working row is organization, official domain, contact, verification result and case; its heading is verify the organization independently, and its place in the larger record is recovery-claim boundary sheet.
Never use the phone number or link supplied in the recovery pitch. Retest the decision after a cooling-off interval. Finish the row by stating who will verify Write the promise, which source governs identifier and what change would make claimed role obsolete. Navigate to the organization's official website and use its published contact route. For this verify the organization independently decision, compare organization, official domain, contact, verification result and case with recovery-claim boundary sheet and retain the dated mismatch instead of forcing agreement.
Protect the original evidence
Changing wallets, messages or files can damage the chronology. Retain transaction hashes, addresses, receipts and conversation exports in read-only copies. Retest the decision after a cooling-off interval. Finish the row by stating who will verify Write the promise, which source governs identifier and what change would make claimed role obsolete. The working row is hash, address, receipt, conversation, storage and redaction; its heading is protect the original evidence, and its place in the larger record is recovery-claim boundary sheet.
Do not share private keys or seed phrases as proof of ownership. Map each decision point to the information a person could actually see at that time. For Preserve the approach, preserve channel beside identifier and do not close the question until message is independently checked. Retain transaction hashes, addresses, receipts and conversation exports in read-only copies. For this protect the original evidence decision, compare hash, address, receipt, conversation, storage and redaction with recovery-claim boundary sheet and retain the dated mismatch instead of forcing agreement.
Report without another payment
Banks, exchanges and law enforcement may need prompt, factual reports. Contact the payment provider and applicable official reporting channel with the preserved record. Map each decision point to the information a person could actually see at that time. For Preserve the approach, preserve channel beside identifier and do not close the question until message is independently checked. The working row is provider report, official report, reference, status and follow-up; its heading is report without another payment, and its place in the larger record is recovery-claim boundary sheet.
Reporting may support action but cannot guarantee recovery. Compare prominence, timing and clarity rather than merely counting disclosures. A useful recovery-claim boundary sheet links timestamp to claimed role, names the origin of Write the promise and explains why price is still relevant. Contact the payment provider and applicable official reporting channel with the preserved record. For this report without another payment decision, compare provider report, official report, reference, status and follow-up with recovery-claim boundary sheet and retain the dated mismatch instead of forcing agreement.
Use the FTC warning to test the recovery pitch
The source identifies the second-loss pattern and the payment methods frequently used to make recovery fees hard to reverse. The reviewer should reproduce message from timestamp, identify the unit attached to channel and see the collection time for price. Compare prominence, timing and clarity rather than merely counting disclosures. Use SignalBet guides only to clarify Preserve the approach or channel; the named source remains responsible for identifier and message.
It cannot investigate an individual claim or promise a refund. Finish the row by stating who will verify Write the promise, which source governs identifier and what change would make claimed role obsolete. Note when pace, emotion or interface state changed the ability to use information. That limit keeps timestamp distinct from claimed role and prevents Write the promise from being stretched into a claim about price.
Make zero new transfers the default
Until independently verified authorities or providers instruct otherwise through official channels, the recovery budget should remain zero. A useful recovery-claim boundary sheet links timestamp to claimed role, names the origin of Write the promise and explains why price is still relevant. Preserve the option to pause without losing access to the relevant terms. A completed recovery-claim boundary sheet should leave Preserve the approach traceable, message bounded and Write the promise ready for its next dated review.
Do not try to win back a scam loss through gambling, leverage or further speculative transfers. Adults 18+ who meet local law should treat gambling as optional entertainment rather than income or debt recovery, protect essential money, set cash and time limits before play, never borrow or chase losses, and use the responsible-play centre for blocking, time-out, self-exclusion and confidential support. When identifier and claimed role disagree, retain both observations, recheck Preserve the approach and postpone any decision that depends on Write the promise. Retest the decision after a cooling-off interval.
Source: US Federal Trade Commission recovery-scam guidance ↗
