A "recovery lawyer" tried to scam me—after I'd already been scammed

I had already lost money to an investment scam and was raw enough to answer when a "recovery lawyer" emailed saying they could claw funds back. Their site looked sober—headshots, bar-style language, testimonials—and I wanted the first loss to be reversible.

They quoted a retainer, then filing fees, then international wire costs, each tied to a tight deadline so I would not shop around. I paid because the math still looked cheaper than accepting the original theft as final.

Recovery scammers harvest people who already filed fraud reports; they never touch a court docket. Every "filing" was another invoice, and when I refused the next payment the threats turned into silence.

I was vulnerable and embarrassed, so a professional tone felt like rescue. Part of me wondered why real lawyers needed prepaid gift cards, but hope kept me funding the story.

When they demanded yet another fee I searched recovery lawyer scam and found my exact letter quoted on warning sites. Reading my own phrasing mirrored there was when I knew I had paid a second criminal.

I lost more money than the first scam had taken in its final week, and the shame stacked because I thought I was being careful. Reporting both schemes at least stopped the bleeding.

I now treat unsolicited recovery offers as automatic fraud, especially when they ask for upfront payment. I wish I had only worked with counsel I chose and paid after verifying licensure.

• Recovery scams target prior victims—no one can guarantee refunds for upfront fees. Report to the FTC and ignore cold outreach.
• Report recovery fraud to the same channels you used for the original loss so investigators see the full chain.

For more help, see our Report a scam page and Spot and avoid scams guide.