In the rapidly growing world of cryptocurrency, scammers continue to evolve—and now, they’re preying on victims who’ve already suffered financial loss. At the center of this emerging threat is Stockton Group, a so-called “fund recovery” service that claims to help individuals retrieve lost crypto investments. But behind the polished website and promises of justice lies what victims and investigators are now calling a well-organized second-wave fraud operation.
A New Kind of Deception
The Stockton Group presents itself as a professional financial recovery firm, claiming to specialize in retrieving funds lost to crypto scams, Ponzi schemes, and fraudulent trading platforms. They offer promises of justice, blockchain tracing, and legal support. But according to multiple victims and ongoing international investigations, there is no real service at all—only empty promises, fake reports, the use of counterfeit USDT tokens, and additional financial loss.
Once a victim is onboarded, the scheme escalates. The victim is told their funds have been “successfully located” and are held in a recovery wallet. But in order to receive their money, Stockton Group demands the payment of a fake “crypto tax” or “release fee,” often in the form of USDT. The tokens used in their interface or wallet screenshots are not real—they are mock wallet interfaces used to trick clients into believing large amounts are waiting for withdrawal.
How They Target Victims
Contrary to their claim of offering help only to those who seek it, Stockton Group is actively buying data from third-party email marketing firms, lead generators, and even phone providers. This allows them to obtain contact lists of thousands of previous crypto investors or people who submitted complaints about scam brokers.
From there, they launch aggressive outbound campaigns—calling, texting, and emailing every lead until they identify someone who has lost money. Victims report that the callers already knew personal information including names, addresses, amounts lost, and even the name of the original broker.
“They didn’t sound like scammers. They sounded like lawyers. They knew every detail of what happened to me, and that’s what made me trust them,” said one victim. “But it was all fake.”
Investor Testimonies
David H., Birmingham, UK
“I was scammed by a fake trading site, and then I got a call from someone at Stockton Group. They had all my information—my investment amount, the broker I used, even my ID details. They said they could recover my funds. After paying over £4,000 in fake ‘legal fees,’ they showed me a fake wallet with $47,000 USDT. But they demanded I pay crypto taxes before withdrawal. I did. Then they vanished.”
Nora E., Oslo, Norway
“They promised blockchain recovery and legal enforcement support. I paid the €2,500 upfront fee. A week later, they showed me a secure wallet with my funds. But to release it, they said I had to pay a ‘tax liability’ in advance. They even gave me documents from a fake international crypto watchdog. It was all a setup. I never got my money back.”
Jacqueline T., Dublin, Ireland
“I was desperate after being scammed. Stockton Group called and claimed to work with Interpol and European regulators. They showed me a fake USDT balance and asked me to pay a 7% crypto tax before they could ‘unlock’ the funds. It’s the cruelest kind of fraud—giving hope and then stealing again.”
Investigations Underway Across Europe
The rise of cases linked to Stockton Group has triggered investigations from major European law enforcement agencies. Europol EC3 (European Cybercrime Centre) is actively gathering intelligence on the organization behind the operation, believed to be operating through a network of shell companies and offshore wallets.
Interpol’s Financial Crime Division has also received numerous reports, citing the use of synthetic identity documents, burner crypto wallets, and rotating international phone numbers to mask their location.
Meanwhile, legal authorities in the UK, Italy, Germany, and Israel are warning citizens to avoid all communication with companies offering unsolicited fund recovery services—especially those asking for upfront crypto payments or taxes.
The Digital Trail of Deceit
Cybersecurity firms have identified Stockton Group’s IP addresses, hosting servers, and wallet tracking links as matching those used in earlier crypto fraud schemes. Their websites are often hosted offshore with anonymous domain registrations, and content is generated using AI tools to mimic professional legal language.
Victims report that the group regularly changes its domain name, Telegram accounts, and even brand identity—making it difficult to track them without coordinated international support.
Final Warning to Investors
Stockton Group is not a legitimate fund recovery agency. It is a second-layer scam operation, built to prey on the vulnerable, the desperate, and the hopeful. Their method is cold, calculated, and designed to emotionally manipulate those who have already been hurt once.
Their platform is an illusion. Their tokens are fake. Their taxes are a lie. And their goal is simple: to steal even more.
