The FBI has issued a stark warning about an insidious new trend: fake lawyer schemes targeting people who’ve already fallen victim to cryptocurrency scams.
These secondary scammers pose as attorneys or law firms, offering false promises to recover lost funds—essentially victimizing the already victimized.
The scammers operate with remarkable precision, armed with specific details about victims’ previous losses.
They know exact amounts, dates, and even wire transfer information—making their deception particularly convincing.
Like digital wolves dressed in legal sheep’s clothing, they create fictitious law firms complete with forged websites, counterfeit documents, and stolen letterheads from legitimate organizations.
“They’re basically fishing in a pond of people they know have already taken the bait once,” an FBI spokesperson explained.
The fraudsters initiate contact through unsolicited emails, social media messages, or fake WhatsApp groups where they orchestrate elaborate charades with supposed “bank processors” to pressure victims into making additional payments.
The financial impact is staggering.
The FBI received over 149,000 crypto fraud complaints in 2024, with losses totaling $9.3 billion—a 66% increase from the previous year.
Americans aged 60 and older have been hit hardest, accounting for nearly 30% of all losses at $2.83 billion.
Red flags include claims of being an “official authorized partner” with government agencies (always fictitious), references to non-existent regulatory bodies like the “International Financial Trading Commission,” and reluctance to appear on camera or provide verifiable credentials.
The FBI recommends a Zero Trust approach when dealing with recovery service offers.
Verification through face-to-face communication is strongly urged, as is preserving all communications as evidence.
This problem isn’t confined to U.S. borders.
These scams have grown increasingly sophisticated and global, prompting the FBI to provide training to law enforcement in over 60 countries.
The message is clear: when someone promises to recover your lost crypto—especially if they know too much about your previous losses—proceed with extreme caution.
Stay vigilant by monitoring unusual communication patterns and being skeptical of unsolicited recovery offers that seem too good to be true.
These sophisticated operations often involve the breach of legitimate law firms to obtain credible email addresses and domain names, making their deceptive communications appear more authentic.
Victims are typically instructed to make upfront payments in cryptocurrency or gift cards, which are nearly impossible to recover once transferred.
