Recovery scams: What are they and how can you avoid them?

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers of a rising scam.

Recovery scams are the latest way scammers trick you out of your money. Daniel Irwin with the BBB describes this scam as the worst of the worst.

It’s where scammers target people who have already lost money to a scam.

“Scammers pose as government agencies, law firms, consumer watchdogs offering to recover your money for a fee,” said Irwin.

Scammers identify their targets by monitoring social media for recent posts and even buying and reselling “Sucker lists.”

These are lists of scam victims that circulate repeatedly on the dark web.

“Be extra cautious if you’ve already been scammed and never pay upfront for a recovery service. Legitimate help doesn’t require prepayment,” said Irwin.

Some red flags to look out for is include communication only through messaging apps or social media and a so-called government agency using a Gmail or Yahoo email instead of a “.gov” address.

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