Crypto Fraudsters Masquerade as Lawyers
By Greg Collier
The FBI has issued a new reminder warning people who have already fallen victim to scams that they may be targeted again. According to the agency, fraudsters often circle back to previous victims with fresh schemes designed to exploit them further.
One of the most concerning variations involves scammers posing as representatives of fictitious law firms. These operations present themselves as “crypto recovery law firms,” claiming to work alongside government agencies or international organizations that in reality do not exist. Victims are often told they are listed in official databases of scam victims and are promised that the firm can help them recover stolen cryptocurrency.
What makes this scheme particularly dangerous is the amount of information the fraudsters may have about past incidents. The scammers sometimes provide exact figures of losses, transaction details, and even the names of entities where money was sent. This can create the illusion of legitimacy, leading victims to believe that the outreach is genuine.
The con typically progresses to requests for personal information or referrals to supposed foreign banks or attorneys. At that stage, victims are told that fees must be paid to prove ownership of funds before any recovery can be made. In reality, no legitimate government effort to assist scam victims requires such payments.
This latest reminder also outlines practical ways for people to verify whether contact is genuine. Scam operations may refuse to appear on video, may use falsified legal credentials, or may impersonate real lawyers or law enforcement personnel. These impersonations endanger victims and harm the reputations of legitimate professionals.
The FBI notes that these “double victimization” scams are particularly cruel because they exploit the emotional distress of people who have already lost money. Many victims are desperate to recover their losses, and that desperation can make them more vulnerable to false promises of restitution. By preying on hope and grief, scammers increase the likelihood that victims will comply with their demands.
There is also a risk that scammers identify their targets through public disclosures online. People who openly post about their losses on social media may unintentionally expose themselves to renewed targeting. For that reason, it is safer not to share detailed accounts of being scammed in public forums where criminals are actively searching for vulnerable victims.
Another place where scammers may search for targets is within online support groups for scam victims. While many of these groups exist to help people share experiences and learn from one another, they can be infiltrated by fraudsters posing as fellow victims who recommend illegitimate recovery services. This creates another layer of risk for people already seeking help and highlights the importance of verifying any advice or services offered in these spaces.
The FBI advises anyone who believes they may have been targeted by these recovery scams to report the attempt to their local field office.
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