Basic Information
The recovery scam is a type of scam targeted at previous scam victims. The victim receives a message claiming to be from the police, informing them of a scam they have fallen for and offering them an opportunity to get their money back. The grifter then proceeds to carry out a fairly straightforward advance fee fraud on them, and may also request details to be used in identity theft.
Often, the grifter knows about the previous scam in every detail for a simple reason: they are the same person who ran it. This isn't always the case, though; grifters sell "sucker lists" to one another, knowing that someone who falls for one scam may fall for others.
This is a modern version of the thief taker scam wherein an "upright man" posing as a private detective would undertake to recover stolen property for a fee - knowing that the property had been stolen by thieves in his employ (or at least working with him). See, for example, the life of Jonathan Wild.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- This scam can be run recursively, but usually isn't; someone who gets burned on it is likely to think it sounds familiar the next time.
- Being several levels deep into this scam can characterize someone as unusually gullible.
- After falling victim to another scam, the PCs are contacted by someone who can get their money back, or at least help them get revenge. They just need to do one little favor…
- Assuming the usual PC comfort with violence, scamming a murderhobo and framing your enemies is an effective (if somewhat high-stakes) way of getting a cheaper-than-free hitman.
- See again Jonathan Wild, who used his position as thief-taker to eliminate competition and deserters under the guise of "cleaning up the streets".
- Assuming the usual PC comfort with violence, scamming a murderhobo and framing your enemies is an effective (if somewhat high-stakes) way of getting a cheaper-than-free hitman.
- The PCs find themselves in possession of a sucker list. Do they reach out to the people on it and warn them? Poison it with scambaiters or a sting operation before passing it on? Find scams in progress and dollar chop them? Use it for its intended purpose? Let's check their character alignment…