The core test
If someone promises guaranteed recovery and demands an upfront payment, stop and verify their identity independently. Genuine authorities do not charge victims a fee to recover their own money.
Common claims to distrust
- Claiming to be, or to work directly for, a federal agency or police force
- Claiming to have frozen the fraudster's account and to need a fee to release funds
- Claiming to be a lawyer, but only reachable through a messaging app
- Claiming blockchain 'recovery software' can retrieve sent cryptocurrency
- Asking for a seed phrase, password, one-time code, PIN or remote access
- Asking for payment in cryptocurrency, gift cards or to a personal account
How to verify independently
- Look up the organization yourself and use only its published contact details
- Check professional registers for lawyers and financial firms in your jurisdiction
- Ask for the claim in writing on official letterhead, then verify it with the organization
- Take time - urgency is manufactured to prevent verification
Independent service. FraudGuard Recovery & Cyber Safety is an independent private service. We are not a law enforcement agency, government body, bank, regulator or law firm, and we have no government affiliation. We do not guarantee the recovery of lost funds. Outcomes depend on the circumstances of each case and on the institutions involved.