Valeria Capital: Stopping a Recovery-Scam Double Fraud — 49% Returned

After an earlier scam, a victim was contacted by “Valeria Capital,” which claimed it could recover her lost crypto — for upfront fees. This is the cruellest pattern: a second scam preying on the first. We stopped it mid-stream.

How it started

F.D., 56, had already lost money to a fake broker. “Valeria Capital” cold-emailed her, claiming a “recovery case” was open and that an “administrative fee” and “legal retainer” were needed to release her funds.

Where it went wrong

She paid two fees in crypto and card before a third “court bond” request made her uneasy. She found Lost Coin Rescue while searching whether Valeria Capital was legitimate — it was not.

“They knew details about my first scam. That’s what made me believe them.”

The recovery, step by step

1. We stopped the bleeding firstWe told her not to pay the “court bond” — there is never a legitimate upfront fee to recover funds.
2. We traced the fee paymentsThe crypto fees led to an exchange deposit address; the card fee was chargeback-eligible.
3. We documented the recovery-scam patternUpfront fees, fake “case numbers,” and knowledge of her first scam (often resold victim data).
4. We filed claims fastA chargeback on the card fee and a freeze request on the crypto.
5. We recovered the second-scam feesWe returned $19,000 of the $38,700 she had paid Valeria Capital.

Warning signs we flagged

• Anyone promising guaranteed recovery for an upfront fee.
• “Recovery” firms that contacted YOU, often knowing your first scam.
• Fake “case numbers,” “court bonds,” or “legal retainers.”
• Pressure to pay quickly “before the case closes.”