After a first loss, the sequel often arrives as bureaucratic poetry: your funds are almost back, but first you must complete an “asset cleaning” or “stabilisation” so the coin can sit at a fair value — preferably as USDT. Victims are told the notice came via a big-brand exchange. It did not. Large venues do not invent cleaning rituals, and they do not ask for fresh deposits, taxes or AML pre-payments to release money that is already yours.
The script’s job is simple: one more transfer “for the procedure”, then another. Remote-access apps and seed-phrase “verification” show up in the same conversations. If you need confirmation, open the exchange app yourself — typed URL, not a chat link — and ask support whether any refund ticket exists. Do not use the contacts in the cleaning email.
How to respond: pay nothing for cleaning, unlocking or “risk removal”; keep TXIDs and screenshots; move remaining assets to a wallet the callers cannot see. Report both the original fraud and the follow-up through proper channels.
Start at Get help. The recovery industry: Fake recovery.
This article is for general information only. It is not legal or financial advice. Details change. If you have lost money, contact your bank or card issuer and use the routes on the help pages.