#wallet-validation-fee

Crypto Recovery Firm wants a 'wallet validation fee' to get my funds back. Is this a new scam?

Hi everyone, I'm feeling so desperate right now. About six months ago, I fell for a really sophisticated crypto investment scam – lost most of my life savings, over £15,000. It was absolutely devastating. I reported it to Action Fraud, but honestly, didn't hear much back, which made me feel even worse. Then last week, I got an email from a company called 'CryptoSecure Retrieval'. They said they track lost funds and had identified some of mine. They sounded super professional, lots of legal jargon and 'case numbers'. They sent me a 'contract' and now want a 'wallet validation fee' of about £1,200, which they say is refundable and necessary to 'link my new secure wallet' to the recovered funds before they can transfer them. They even mentioned they work closely with the FCA (which gave me a tiny bit of hope, maybe stupidly). I'm so wary after being scammed once, but a part of me desperately wants to believe this could be real. Has anyone heard of this 'wallet validation fee'? Is this how recovery actually works, or am I about to lose even more money?