The rescue promise creates a second opening
A recovery scam targets someone after an earlier loss. The FTC describes an unsolicited contact promising a refund or recovery, then asking for payment or personal information first. The offer’s apparent purpose is help; the demand creates another opportunity to take money or information. [1]
Knowing your story does not prove their identity
The FTC explains that scammers trade information about previous victims. A caller may therefore know details of the earlier loss and claim to represent an agency, law firm or other organization. Familiarity with the incident does not authenticate the person making the offer. [1]
Check through a route you choose
The FTC advises against paying an unexpected recovery contact upfront. For a supposed government agency, find its contact number independently and verify the approach there, rather than using the number the caller supplies. Its guidance also points people who already paid toward steps to try reversing a transaction; recovery is not guaranteed. [1]
A short scenario to think through
Hypothetical example: a message correctly names a purchase you never received, then says a refund is waiting if you pay a processing charge. Our interpretation: separate the true background detail from the new claim of authority. The first can be accurate while the second still needs independent checking.
Go a little deeper
Optional reading · about 1 more minute
What to ask before answering
Our practical reading checklist: who initiated this contact, what are they asking you to provide, and where could you verify the claim independently? Those questions help you assess the new request on its own terms. A promise that sounds reassuring should not substitute for establishing who is making it.
This is an established pattern
The source is FTC guidance dated December 2023, reopened for this explainer. We are explaining an established scam pattern, not reporting a new surge or accusing a named recovery business. The hook-and-lifebuoy illustration is a metaphor, not evidence of a particular incident. [1]
Original sources
Attributed synthesis, not original reporting. Examples labeled hypothetical or illustrative are explanatory. Reviewing a source does not independently validate its findings.
- FTC: Refund and Recovery Scams ↗
December 2023 guidance, full article read in Chrome September 15, 2026. No present-day prevalence estimate or named-service allegation.
