“We Can Recover the Money You Lost” — The Second Sting
After a timeshare owner has already been scammed, a new caller promises to recover the lost money — for another upfront fee. That caller is often the original scammer, or a partner working from a resold list of prior victims. This page from Newton Group Transfers (The Newton Group ESA, LLC), a Mesa, Arizona timeshare exit company that has helped timeshare owners since 2005, explains how the recovery-and-reload pattern works.
What is a timeshare recovery or reload scam? A recovery or reload scam targets a timeshare owner who has already lost money to a prior scam. The caller promises to return those losses in exchange for another upfront ‘recovery,’ ‘court,’ or ‘tax’ fee. Legitimate recovery generally never requires an upfront payment. Report the original fraud to the FTC instead.
How does a timeshare recovery & reload scam play out?
A reload scam typically runs in three moves: an unsolicited caller claims to recover money the timeshare owner previously lost, demands an upfront ‘recovery,’ ‘court,’ or ‘tax’ fee before releasing funds, and then disappears. No funds existed to recover — the owner has simply been scammed a second time.
A ‘recovery’ call finds you
The caller claims to be able to get back the money the owner lost — posing as a law firm, a recovery agency, or even a government office. Related pattern: timeshare impersonation scams.
Another upfront fee
The caller demands a ‘recovery,’ ‘court,’ or ‘tax’ fee before any funds can be released — the same mechanic behind upfront-fee timeshare scams.
You lose again
There are no funds to recover. The timeshare owner has simply been reloaded — scammed a second time, and often added to a list that gets resold again.
Recovery scam vs. legitimate reporting: what each one asks of you
| Signal | Recovery / reload scam | Legitimate reporting channel |
|---|---|---|
| Who made contact | They called you, unsolicited | You contact the agency yourself |
| Upfront fee | Required before “release” of funds | None — FTC and state AG reporting is free |
| Outcome promised | A guaranteed refund of your losses | No outcome is promised; recovery is not guaranteed |
| Payment method | Wire, gift card, crypto, or courier | Not applicable |
| Verification | Cannot be verified independently | Verifiable at the agency’s official .gov site |
What are the red flags of a recovery scam?
The clearest red flags are an unsolicited “we can get your money back” call, any upfront fee to recover losses, a claimed government or court affiliation, contact soon after a prior scam, unusual payment methods, and requests for more banking data. Any single one of these signals typically warrants ending the call.
What should you do if a recovery agency calls?
Do not pay anything. End the call, then report the original scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to your state Attorney General. Contact your bank or card issuer about the first payment. Verify any firm independently through its official site before re-engaging — never through a number the caller supplies.
- ✓Know that legitimate recovery never requires an upfront fee — the same trap covered in the Newton Group guide to fake money-back guarantees.
- ✓Report the original scam to the FTC and your state Attorney General.
- ✓Independently verify any agency or firm that contacts you. Reviewing the full library of timeshare scam alerts helps a timeshare owner recognize the next pitch.
- ✓Assume a ‘recovery’ cold-call is a second scam.
- ✓Never pay to get scammed money ‘released.’
How does a recovery scam differ from a legitimate timeshare exit company?
A recovery scam finds the owner by cold call, demands money upfront, and cannot be verified. A legitimate timeshare exit company is one the owner contacts, publishes its pricing and process, has a track record that can be checked independently, and puts a licensed attorney on the case rather than a call center.
⚠ The scam
- Targeting you a second time
- Upfront ‘recovery’ fees
- Fake government / legal affiliation
- More money and data lost
✓ The Newton Group way
- A transparent company with no upfront-fee trap
- A verifiable track record you can check — see the Newton Group best-in-class exit standard
- Straightforward pricing and process
- No cold-call pressure — you reach out to us
Recovery & reload scams: common questions
Can I get back money lost to a timeshare scam?
Recovering money lost to a timeshare scam is generally difficult and is never guaranteed. Be very wary of anyone charging an upfront fee to ‘recover’ losses — that is typically a reload scam. Report the original scam to the FTC and your state Attorney General, and contact your bank or card issuer about the original payment.
Why did a ‘recovery agency’ contact me after I was scammed?
Scammers buy, trade and reuse victim lists, so a prior loss often makes a timeshare owner a repeat target. An unsolicited recovery offer that asks for upfront fees is almost always a second scam rather than a legitimate service.
What is a timeshare reload scam?
A timeshare reload scam is a second scam aimed at someone who already lost money to a first one. The caller poses as a recovery agency, law firm or government office, promises to return the lost funds, and then demands a ‘recovery,’ ‘court’ or ‘tax’ fee before any money is released. No funds are ever returned.
Does a government agency ever call to return scammed money for a fee?
No. Government agencies such as the FTC do not call timeshare owners to demand a fee before releasing recovered funds. Any caller claiming a government, court, or law-enforcement affiliation who requests payment should be treated as a scam and reported.
Talk to a real Newton Group advisor.
A licensed advisor reviews your specific situation — free, no obligation, no pressure. Never a call center.
- ✓ A personal licensed attorney on every case — whose duty is to you
- ✓ Factory-direct pricing — no reseller markup, no upfront-fee trap
- ✓ In business since 2003 · BBB A+ · 30,000+ families helped