Someone has offered to get back the money you lost at an online casino, for a fee. Is that genuine, or a gambling recovery scam? Official warnings are clear: an unrequested offer like this, for a fee, is a scam. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises: “Never pay up front for a refund”, and its alert of 3 August 2026 adds that you should not pay anyone for help getting one. Do not pay, end all contact and tell your bank.

Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud), the reporting service for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, gives the same warning on its recovery fraud page: “Genuine agencies never ask for fees to recover money lost to fraudsters.” The table below shows where to report in your country.

Where to report a recovery scam, by country

Report it in the country where you live, and speak to your own bank or card provider first. Scamwatch, the Australian Government’s scam reporting service, advises contacting your bank or card provider immediately and asking it to stop any transactions.

Where you liveWho to contactHow
England, Wales and Northern IrelandReport Fraud (formerly Action Fraud)reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040
ScotlandPolice Scotland101
United StatesFederal Trade Commission (FTC)ReportFraud.ftc.gov
United States, internet crimeFBI Internet Crime Complaint Centeric3.gov
AustraliaScamwatchscamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
CanadaCanadian Anti-Fraud Centrereportcyberandfraud.canada.ca or 1-888-495-8501
Anywhere elseThe police or the national fraud reporting service where you liveCheck the official website for your country

In the United States, a state attorney general also takes consumer complaints. In Australia, IDCARE offers free identity and cyber support on 1800 595 160, and police reports can be made at cyber.gov.au.

What a report does – and what it does not

A report helps agencies spot patterns, warn other people and sometimes close down fraudulent websites. On its own, it does not return money. Report anyway, and deal with your bank at the same time.

Losing money twice is hard. Gambling Therapy offers free online support to anyone affected by gambling, wherever they live.

How does a gambling recovery scam work?

It starts with a first loss and adds a second: a stranger who knows about the loss offers help and asks for a fee. Official warnings describe recovery scams in general terms, and none of the fraud-reporting agencies cited here names gambling specifically. The same pattern applies to people who lost money to a fake casino site.

For wider context, see the warning signs of online casino scams. A typical case, with no names or brands, runs in six steps.

  1. A person loses money. Perhaps the site was a clone with a copied regulator logo (see fake licence seals and cloned casino sites), or a withdrawal never arrived after the site asked for a “fee” first.
  2. Their details are passed on. The FTC says that refund and recovery scammers buy lists of people who have already been scammed.
  3. A new contact arrives by email, phone, message or social media, according to Scamwatch. The sender poses as a police force, government agency, law firm or other organisation that has heard about the loss.
  4. A fee is requested. The FTC names a “retainer fee”, a “processing fee” and an “administrative charge”. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), writing about investment losses, describes upfront charges labelled as tax, solicitor or administrative fees.
  5. More costs follow. Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) says that people who pay are approached again for another cost, and Scamwatch lists requests for further money to continue an investigation.
  6. Bank details, personal data or remote access to a device are requested, often with the explanation that a refund must be deposited. Report Fraud warns that scammers use bank details to empty accounts, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre advises never giving an unknown person remote access to a computer or device.

Do not pay at step four. No genuine agency asks for a fee for this.

What are the warning signs of a recovery scam?

The clearest sign is a fee asked before any work is done. Other signs are an unrequested contact from someone who knows about your loss, a webmail address, a request for bank details or remote access, and payment in cryptocurrency or gift cards. Most recovery scams show several of these at once.

  • Someone contacted you first, knows a lot about the money you lost and wants a fee first. Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) describes exactly this pattern.
  • A fee, or a percentage of the money to be recovered, is requested up front. Scamwatch and the FTC both list this.
  • The email comes from a webmail address, such as Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail, but carries official-looking logos. Report Fraud and the FCA both mention webmail.
  • Other people are said to have been helped, or websites and adverts promise to recover lost money. Scamwatch lists both.
  • Payment is requested in cryptocurrency or prepaid gift cards, or a “lawyer” will not show credentials. The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center issued a warning about fake law firms on 13 August 2025.

Ask how they found out. Report Fraud says that any report of fraud is protected by law, and the FCA says a report of fraud can be shared only between law enforcement agencies, not with a private business running a recovery room. If they cannot explain how they found you, end all contact.

Who can help you get back money lost to an online casino – and who cannot?

Your own bank or card provider is the only place where a payment can be looked at. Where a licensed operator does not pay, the first step is the operator’s own complaints procedure. Reporting agencies do not charge and do not guarantee a refund. Nobody who contacts you first and asks for a fee can help.

Two situations need separating. In the first, money was taken by a fake site. In the second, money was lost at a real operator. The rule about fees applies to both.

For a payment you did not authorise, or goods and services that were not provided as promised, the dispute is with your bank or card provider. The bank decides, not a third party working for a fee. Procedures and time limits differ by bank and country, so ask yours directly.

Money lost through ordinary play at a real operator is a different case. No outside company can promise to reverse that loss. If a licensed operator will not pay a balance you are owed, the first step is the operator’s own complaints procedure; see what to do when an online casino does not pay out.

A recovery offer can look like a shortcut if you do not know who regulates an operator. It is not one. To find out who regulates an operator, see how licensed online casinos are checked and use the regulator’s own register.

If you want legal advice, choose the adviser yourself and check them with the professional body where you live. Paying a professional is not in itself a sign of a scam. An unrequested contact, a payment up front and a promised result together are.

The payment points in this section were reviewed by Neil Hetherington.

What should you do if you have already paid a recovery fee?

Stop paying, end all contact and call your bank or card provider straight away. Paying a fee does not make you careless, because these schemes are built to look convincing. The steps below put the actions in order, starting with the ones that limit further loss.

  1. Stop paying and end all contact. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has said that an unrequested offer to recover scam losses for a fee is a scam, and advises ignoring further contact.
  2. Call your bank or card provider and describe every payment. If you gave remote access or documents, say so and change your passwords.
  3. Keep the evidence: emails, phone numbers, website addresses, payment confirmations and dates.
  4. Report the scam in the country where you live, using the table above.
  5. Expect more contact. People who pay are often asked for another cost, so treat every new message with the same caution.

The FBI treats a request for payment in cryptocurrency as a warning sign. If you already paid that way, include the details in your report.

Where to report and where to get support

The country table in the first section shows the right agency where you live. The rule is the same everywhere: no genuine agency charges to recover money, and none can promise a result.

If the loss has become a worry, support is free, whatever the amount. Gambling Therapy offers confidential online support to anyone affected by gambling, in any country. In England and Scotland, the National Gambling Helpline is 0808 8020 133. In Wales, Great Britain’s Gambling Commission lists 0808 2819 265, the free 24/7 helpline of the NHS All Wales Gambling Treatment Service.

This guide gives general information and is not legal advice. Sources checked: 5 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Can anyone get back money you lost at an online casino?

Sometimes, but not through a company that contacts you and charges a fee. Money taken by a fake site, or a payment you did not authorise, can be raised with your own bank or card provider. Money lost through ordinary play at a real operator is different, and no outside firm can promise to reverse it.

Is it a scam if a company asks for a fee before recovering your money?

In the cases described by the FTC, Report Fraud, Scamwatch and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, yes. All four warn against advance fees for refunds or recovery. A fee asked up front, after an unrequested contact and with a promised result, is the pattern they describe. Do not pay, and report it.

How do recovery scammers know that you lost money?

The FTC says refund and recovery scammers buy lists of people who have already been scammed. The FCA, writing about investment losses, says a report of fraud is not shared with a private business running a recovery room. So ask how they found you. If they cannot explain it, end all contact.

Do government agencies or the police charge to recover money lost to a scam?

No. The FTC says government agencies will never ask for money to help you get a refund, and Report Fraud says genuine agencies never ask for fees to recover money lost to fraudsters. If someone claiming to be an agency asks you to pay, treat it as a scam and report it where you live.

Where do you report a gambling recovery scam in England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland?

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101. Report Fraud does not cover Scotland, so the route depends on where you live.

Where do you report a recovery scam in the United States, Australia or Canada?

In the United States, report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and internet crime also to the FBI at ic3.gov. In Australia, use Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam. In Canada, use the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca or 1-888-495-8501. Elsewhere, contact the police where you live.

Does reporting a scam get your money back?

Not on its own. A report helps agencies spot patterns, warn other people and sometimes close down fraudulent websites, but the agencies cited in this guide do not guarantee that money will be returned. Report anyway, and speak to your bank at the same time.

Sources

All sources were accessed on 5 October 2026.