Some recovery and “support” funnels send you to a website that looks like a wallet: logo, balance, maybe a familiar coin list. The number looks hopeful. Withdrawal is always one fee away — tax, insurance, mirroring, AML, “miner rent”.
The domains change constantly (short invented names, trust-sounding compounds, fake company footers in Bristol or London). The mechanic does not. You are staring at a skin, not at keys you control. Until you pay, nothing moves; after you pay, a new obstacle appears.
How to check: only open wallets you installed from official stores or projects you navigated to yourself; never import a seed a stranger gave you into a site they chose; verify company numbers if a footer waves a UK registration — many are decorative. If support refuses a tiny withdrawal test without an upfront crypto fee, you already have your answer.
If this pattern matches something you’ve been offered, start at Get help. If someone is already pitching “recovery”, read Fake recovery before you pay another fee.
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.