Can someone really get my stolen crypto back for a fee?
After someone loses crypto, a second wave of scammers often shows up. They say they are recovery experts, lawyers, 'blockchain investigators', or even the police. They promise to get your money back if you pay first. The FBI warns about this. Real police do not charge you to look into a crime.
Warning signs
Someone contacts you first, soon after you lost money, and offers to help.
They ask for a fee, a 'retainer', or a 'tax' before they can return your money.
They claim special tools that can 'trace' or 'reverse' crypto payments.
They say they are from the police, the FBI, a court, or a government office, and they want money.
They know details of your loss. Scammers often share victim lists with each other.
They ask for your recovery words, or ask you to connect your wallet to 'check' it.
If it already happened
Do not pay. The FBI says: "Law enforcement does not charge victims a fee for investigating crimes" (FBI IC3 alert, August 2023).
If someone says they are from the FBI, check it yourself. Do not use the phone number or link they gave you.
Stop replying. You do not owe them an answer.
Write down what happened while you still remember. Save the wallet addresses, transaction IDs (the long code for each payment), dates, amounts, screenshots, the website or app name, and the chat usernames.
Report the new contact too, at ic3.gov and reportfraud.ftc.gov in the US, or your country's official service.
Never pay anyone who promises to recover lost crypto. The FBI's IC3 says it "does not work with any non-law enforcement entity, such as law firms or crypto services, to recuperate lost funds or investigate cases."
Never share your recovery words or private key with anyone, for any reason.
Never trust a message, call, or ad that finds you. Reach real agencies by typing the address yourself.