Cyprus’s top financial watchdog is sounding the alarm over a surge in fraudulent “loss recovery” websites posing as official agents of the country’s securities regulator and preying on desperate victims of previous scams.
The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) issued a public warning this week, naming at least six websites that are falsely claiming affiliation with the regulator and offering to help investors reclaim funds lost in shady investment schemes.
Among the flagged sites:
getyourmoneyback.ltd,
getyoursback.org,
theystole.net,
chargebackinternational.com,
chargebackme.com, and
chargebackmoney.biz.
A Scam on Top of a Scam
The fraudsters behind these operations aren’t just building flashy websites—they’re using fake email addresses that mimic official CySEC domains (like @cysec.gov.cy) and even impersonating CySEC officers by phone, trying to squeeze more money or personal data from investors already burned once.
The regulator stressed that it does not contact individuals out of the blue, and never asks for personal, banking, or investment information. It also doesn’t charge fees or endorse private recovery services.
“If someone says they’re from CySEC and they’re offering to help you recover your money—for a price—they’re lying,” the commission said.
While recovery scams aren’t new, CySEC’s warning comes amid a noticeable uptick in complaints across Europe. As more retail investors turn to unregulated crypto platforms and offshore brokers—often lured in by high-leverage or fast profits—the pool of potential scam victims has grown.
That, in turn, has created fertile ground for so-called “double scammers”—groups that wait for victims to report losses, then offer to help them recover their funds, often for an upfront payment. In many cases, no recovery is attempted at all.
CySEC is urging investors to verify any unsolicited communications by emailing [email protected] and to consult its growing list of alerts. The regulator also published a step-by-step guide to help investors spot impersonation tactics and avoid being drawn in again.
Key red flags include:
- Emails not ending in @cysec.gov.cy
- Recovery “services” that ask for fees upfront
- Calls or emails promising guaranteed success
- Any suggestion that CySEC is acting on your behalf in a legal claim or class action
