What determines whether scam victims recover funds, and what Crypto Reclaim does differently for each scam type
Scam victims contact us daily asking the same question: is recovery realistic? The honest answer depends on three things — the type of scam, where your funds currently sit, and how quickly you act.
Unlike theft through hacking, scam recoveries often involve funds that moved through exchanges or OTC desks. This creates opportunities that direct hacks sometimes do not. Here is what determines your outcome.
This is currently the most common scam type we handle. Victims are groomed over weeks or months before being guided to a fraudulent trading platform. Funds typically flow through multiple exchange accounts before reaching the final scammer wallet.
Recovery is often possible because scammers need to cash out through regulated platforms eventually. We trace the fund flow, identify exchange touchpoints, and submit freeze requests at the moments of maximum exposure. Acting within the first 48 hours dramatically improves outcomes.
Scam platforms that mimic legitimate brokers tend to hold funds in custodial wallets longer than individual scammers do. This creates a wider recovery window. We identify the actual wallet infrastructure of the platform, establish which regulated services they use for cash-out, and coordinate freeze requests before withdrawals occur.
Many successful recoveries in this category happen through direct exchange compliance channels. Our relationships with compliance teams at major platforms mean freeze requests receive priority handling rather than sitting in generic fraud queues.
When project developers abandon a protocol and drain the treasury, fund flow is entirely on-chain and fully traceable. We follow developer wallets through DEX swaps, bridge transactions and token conversions until funds reach a centralized exchange. At that point, freeze options open up.
The challenge in rug pulls is timing — developers often move fast. Contact us immediately when you suspect an exit scam rather than waiting for confirmation.
Wallet drainer attacks move funds fast through automated routing designed to complicate tracing. Despite the speed, endpoints are always identifiable. Drainer operators must cash out somewhere, and that somewhere is almost always a regulated platform that can freeze funds on request.
Learn more about how we flag criminal addresses to block cash-out attempts in real time.
Generic fraud reports filed with exchanges get processed in batches, often days later. By that point, scammers have moved funds multiple times. Our freeze requests reach compliance teams directly through established relationships and get treated as urgent investigations rather than routine reports.
We also build the evidence file while tracing proceeds — so when law enforcement involvement becomes necessary, the documentation is already court-ready. Discover what an incident analysis report contains and why it matters for recovery.
Tell us what happened. We assess every case for free and give you an honest answer on whether recovery is realistic before any commitment is required.