A New Scam – My Photos Money Recovery Scam

A New Kind of Social Media Money Recovery Scam or Scam Victim Assistance Scam

The Rise of ‘Scam Savior’ Scams: A New Layer of Deception on Social Media

In the ever-evolving world of online fraud, a disturbing new trend has emerged: “scam savior” scams. These schemes prey on the vulnerability of previous scam victims, promising justice or recovery in exchange for further exploitation. With thousands of posts flooding platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, these fraudsters position themselves as heroes ready to arrest scammers and reclaim lost funds. But beneath the surface, it’s all a calculated trap designed to ensnare the most desperate individuals.

At the heart of these scams is a clever ruse. Fraudsters claim they’ve successfully gotten scammers arrested, backing their stories with fabricated evidence (photos – see below). In many cases, they misuse photos of real people, perhaps stolen from social media profiles, to lend credibility, asserting that the depicted individual is the arrested scammer. However, most seem to be older crime photos being repurposed over and over.

Other variants target investors, assuring them that the poster is collaborating with law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks and recover lost investments taken by scammers. The pitch is irresistible to victims who’ve already lost thousands and are desperate for help: “Contact me, and I’ll help you get your money back or see justice served.” Desperation fuels the hook, as victims, eager for resolution, overlook glaring warning signs.

What makes these scams particularly insidious is their deliberate use of poor language. Posts are riddled with typos, grammatical errors, and awkward phrasing, reminiscent of early 2010s scams from non-native English speakers. Phrases like “We have arressed the scammer using your photo’s” or “Investors, we working with FBI to get them jailed” are common. see below. Far from being a flaw, this linguistic clumsiness is strategic. It acts as a filter, weeding out skeptical users who spot the red flags. Only the truly desperate, those blinded by hope for recovery, engage, making them prime targets for manipulation. Once contacted, victims are often asked for “processing fees,” personal details, or even more money to “fund the investigation,” leading to secondary losses.

This trend exploits the emotional toll of prior scams, where victims feel humiliated and isolated. Social media’s algorithms amplify these posts, reaching wide audiences and normalizing the deception. The SCARS Institute highlights a surge in such complaints, with losses compounding the original fraud.

Example Social Media Post Messages

1. “Four scammers been arrested today for using my pictures to collect money from my friends and fans.. Please do well to inbox me directly for blessings if you have been scammed by those imposters we need to put an end to it thank you much love ❤️✅”
2. “Four scammers were arrested today for using my pictures to collect money from my friends and followers. Please send me a direct message if you have been scammed. We need to put an end to this. Thank you ❤️✅”
3. “Nine scammer were arrested today for using my picture to collect money from my friend and followers. please send me a direct message if you have been scammed we need to put an… end to this. Thank you ❤️✔️”
4. “Some imposter scammers has been arrested today for using my pictures to collect money from my friends and fans..
   Please do well to inbox me directly for blessings if you have been scammed by those imposters we need to put an end to it thank you much love ❤️✅”
5. “Three scammers has been arrested today for using my pictures to collect money from my friends and fans..
   Please do well to inbox me directly for blessings if you have been scammed by those imposters we need to put an end to it thank you much love”
6. “Three scammer has been arrested today for using my pictures to collect money from you friend and fans please do well to inbox me directly for your blessing if you have been scam by those imposter we need to put and end to it thank you much love ❤️”
7. “Some imposter scammers has been arrested today for using my pictures to collect money from my friends and fans..
   Please do well to inbox me directly for blessings if you have been scammed by those imposters we need to put an end to it thank you much love ❤️✅”
8. “Some of the imposter/scammers has been arrested today for using my pictures to collect money from my friends and fans..
   Please do well to inbox me directly for your royal membership card if you have been scammed by those imposters we need to put an end to it thank you much love ❤️✅”
9. “Three scammers has been arrested today for using my pictures to collect money from my friends and fans..
   Please do well to inbox me directly for blessings if you have been scammed by those imposters we need to put an end to it thank you much love
   AB AGET”
10. “Some scammers have been arrested by probably using my name and my picture, and FedEx company name scammed a lot of people,and now some of the investigations are still going on, kindly message now if all these imposters have scammed you, we need to put an end to this, thank you all, message me directly if you have also been scammed and receive your real package from me 💯”
11. “Hoy arrestaron a cuatro estafadores por usar mis fotos para cobrarles dinero a mis amigos y seguidores.
    Por favor, envíenme un mensaje directo si los estafaron. Tenemos que pon
    erle fin a esto. Gracias ❤️✅
    Envíenme un mensaje ahora a todos mis fans, tanto antiguos como nuevos, para que puedan recibir sus propios paquetes.”

However, some are significantly more complicated:

1. “Notice to all my clients/Investors all round the globe! We are currently actually partnering with The NYPD & the FBI’s to trap down those scammers that are scamming our investors & same time impersonating our photos on social medias…….Please report scammers to me, enough is enough. 4 was arrested yesterday afternoon at Chicago for fraud here on Facebook and Instagram. I myself and the reporter did the homework. Never be afraid, Mrs Glory lowrence Fx is here for you all, Enough is really Enough My dear investors! I’M Proud/Happy to announce to you all that these are some of the victims that was arrested just yesterday of cyber crimes. Your safety & your money is our total concern , If you notice any suspicious act of scam. Please ensure to notify me immediately for a quick & a proper investigation THANK YOU!!!”
2. “Notice to all my Investors all round the globe! Especially the Filipinos.We are currently actually partnering with The NYPD & the FBI’s to track down those scammers that are scamming our investors & same time impersonating our photos on social medias…….Please report scammers to me, enough is enough. 3 was arrested yesterday afternoon at Chicago Illinois for fraud here on Facebook . I Myself and the reporter did the homework. Never be afraid, Mrs Rachel Hernandez is here for you all, Enough is really Enough My Students I’m very happy to announce to you all that these are some of the victims that was arrested just yesterday of cyber crimes. Your safety & your money is our total concern , If you notice any suspicious act of scam. Please ensure to notify me immediately for a quick & a proper investigation
   All Thanks to”
3. “Working with scammers is one of the dangerous thing because you might loss all your hard earned funds into their hands 😭😭but today I already decided to send the FBI to get those fake Bitcoin trader to be arrested and detained in jail ✈️🇬🇧🇭🇷🇬🇷🇵🇹🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇭🇩🇰🇧🇷🇵🇭we move further without scam.
   We have removed over 500 people from our platform, because of the report we have been getting from the people and individuals all over the globe about so many scammers now, most of them are here to steal our testimonies and proof, so they can use it to scam people.
   PLEASE BEWARE OF SCAMMERS❌❌❌
   For those parodying on this platform, today storm is a typical example… we do not tolerate, accept, nor entertain scammers in this company, please report every suspicious person to the Admin.
   Always one the process to make sure my clients are always safe from online scammers who claim to be legit Bitcoin traders … But ends becoming scammers , by taking the money of people decieving them that their money is totally safe with them.
   Now I can assure you that Bitcoin is totally acceptable and profitable to everyone who is ready and invest to make money in it without fear ✅✅✅
   Welcome FBI and the NYPD POLICE DEPARTMENT … YOU ARE GUYS ALWAYS GET YOUR JOB DONE …… ✅✅✅✅”
4. “Notice to all my Investors all round the globe! We are currently actually partnering with The NYPD & the FBI’s to trap down those scammers that are scamming our investors & same time impersonating our photos on social medias…….Please report scammers to me, enough is enough. 3 was arrested yesterday afternoon at Chicago Illinois for fraud here on Facebook . I Myself and the reporter did the homework. Never be afraid, Henrique Schmidt is here for you all, Enough is really Enough My Students I’m very happy to announce to you all that these are some of the victims that was arrested just yesterday of cyber crimes. Your safety & your money is our total concern , If you notice any suspicious act of scam. Please ensure to notify me immediately for a quick & a proper investigation All Thanks to God almighty🙏”
5. “Good Day everyone I’m so happy today, last 4weeks ago one of my new client who Scammed R100,000.00 by Mrs Rogers jersey, Mrs Mary Williams came across my company platforms and reported her to me and I told her to hold on we going to do something about it, when my C, E O hold a meeting I told my C, E O about the Issues and my C E O reported the matter to the commissioner Of FBI.
   We caught Mrs Rogers jersey who was using the name of trading company name for scamming people they made her report to me and the police and fraudsters agency control And we went for proper checkup, then we find Mrs Rogers jersey in his home town resting point in an hotel we arrested her for doing fraudsters work and to pay for those he have scammed
   Be careful of how you invest to people who aren’t real, that pretend to be someone, report to me if you find any scammer online for proper check up.
   All scammers will be arrested take note”
6. “Please report scammers ❌ to me, enough is a enough. Mr Michael itwas arrested yesterday afternoon at a club in Los Angeles for fraud here on telegram❌, Facebook❌ and Instagram❌. If you find any investment company program on Facebook Instagram twitter telegram you contact me for proper investigation.. I myself and the reporter did the homework. Never be afraid, binary Trade is here with you’ll.
   You have to be very careful with the people you invest to..
   We have removed over 42 to 44 people from our platform, because of the report we are having from the Facebook site, so many scammers now, most of them are here to steal our testimonies and proof, so they can use it to scam people.
   PLEASE BE AWARE OF SCAMMERS❌
   For those parodying on this platform, today storm is a typical example… we do not tolerate nor entertain scammers in this company, please report every suspicious person to the support
   ❌.❌.❌ ⚠️.⚠️.⚠️
   PLEASE EVERYONE BE AWARE OF SCAMMERS❌
   NOW ARE DAYS SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE HAVE BEEN SCAM THROUG”

Gallery of Example Social Media Posts

The Proliferation of Money Recovery Scams on Social Media: A Growing Threat to Scam Victims

This troubling new wave of scams has taken root on social media platforms, targeting individuals already wounded by previous frauds. Known as money recovery scams, these schemes promise to retrieve lost funds or secure justice against scammers, preying on the desperation of victims eager to reclaim their financial stability or see accountability served.

With thousands of posts flooding Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other networks, these frauds have become a pervasive issue, exploiting the emotional and economic vulnerabilities of their targets in a digital landscape that amplifies their reach.

The scams often hinge on bold claims, asserting that scammers have been apprehended, sometimes using the victim’s own photos, stolen from their profiles, to fabricate evidence of arrests. In other instances, they target investors, assuring them of partnerships with law enforcement to dismantle criminal rings and recover assets. The message is crafted to hook the desperate: “Reach out to us, and we’ll help you recover your money or ensure the scammers face consequences.” This appeal preys on the anguish of those who’ve suffered significant losses, often blinding them to the obvious dangers.

What sets these scams apart is their deliberate use of subpar language, riddled with spelling mistakes, grammatical blunders, and clumsy phrasing. You might see posts like “We got scamer arrested with ur pics” or “We team up with cops to get ur cash back.” This echoes the rough English of scammers from ten years ago, but it’s a calculated move. The poor quality acts as a filter, repelling those who spot the warning signs while attracting the most desperate individuals so eager for relief that they overlook the red flags. Once contacted, victims are pressured to pay “administrative fees,” share personal details, or send more money to “fund the investigation,” leading to additional financial ruin that can exceed their original losses.

These scams typically operate from regions with weak oversight, using anonymous accounts to avoid tracking. Payments are often demanded in cryptocurrencies or gift cards, leaving little trace for recovery. Some even mimic legitimate recovery services, copying their logos to deceive users further.
To safeguard against this, verify any recovery offer through official sources like the FBI’s IC3 or local police, legitimate entities don’t solicit via social media or request upfront payments. Seek help from certified financial advisors or victim support networks instead. Raising awareness, reporting suspicious posts, and pushing for stricter platform policies can help stem this tide of exploitation. In this digital age, vigilance is your strongest shield.

The emotional toll of prior scams makes victims particularly susceptible. Many feel ashamed or isolated, heightening their willingness to trust anyone offering a solution. Social media algorithms exacerbate the problem, pushing these posts to wider audiences through targeted ads or viral shares, creating an illusion of legitimacy. Cybersecurity experts, including those at Norton and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), report a sharp rise in complaints, with losses estimated in the millions as victims fall into this second layer of exploitation.

The mechanics of these scams are straightforward yet effective. Fraudsters often operate from regions with lax regulations, using anonymous accounts to evade detection. They may demand payments via untraceable methods like cryptocurrency or gift cards, leaving little recourse for victims. Some even pose as legitimate recovery agencies, mimicking the branding of real organizations to confuse users further.

To protect yourself, verify any recovery claim through official channels like the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or local law enforcement, legitimate authorities never solicit via social media or demand upfront fees. Engage with certified financial advisors or victim support groups instead. Raising awareness about these scams, reporting suspicious posts, and advocating for stronger platform moderation can help curb their spread. As the digital landscape evolves, staying informed and cautious remains the best defense against this growing menace.