Every recovery route has a clock, and most victims discover the clocks only after one has stopped. The good news: the clocks are longer and more flexible than scammer folklore suggests — and at least one route is usually still open. Here are the real windows, in order of urgency.
Chargeback. Up to ~120 days via reason codes; some scenarios extend it. Filing within the window preserves your rights even while the case is investigated.
Wire recall. Day-one urgency: the receiving balance is the real deadline.
Ombudsman / bank complaint. Usually months after the bank's final response — a second chance with fresh eyes.
Civil claims. Years under limitation statutes, but evidence cools and assets move — earlier is stronger.
Criminal reports. Effectively always possible; they power freezing requests that no civil route matches.
Limitation periods usually run in years, not months — a lawyer or small-claims filing can still reach payment beneficiaries long after card windows shut.
Police reports trigger exchange freezing and interbank flags years later; they also document your case for every other route.
Retrieval odds decay with time even where legal windows stay open — tracing, recalls and disputes all work better on fresh trails.
If the card window is still alive, the chargeback guide shows how to use it; for bank transfers, the wire guide covers the recall clock; and the legal routes guide explains the longer civil timelines.
Concrete cases from our forensic review archive: a regulated broker whose dispute windows we mapped · an exchange case where speed decided the outcome · a cloned domain caught inside its recall window
Card networks generally allow up to 120 days, counted from the transaction — and for several reason codes from when you discovered the fraud or expected the service. Recent discovery can put an old deposit back inside the window; the only way to know is to file before the conservative deadline.
It varies by jurisdiction and claim type — typically one to six years for civil fraud claims, often longer for criminal matters. The legal window is rarely the binding constraint; evidence quality and asset location are, which is why fast action beats perfect preparation.
Not necessarily — and here is the test: did the fraud surface recently (chargeback may apply), did crypto land at an exchange (freezing is possible), did your bank never issue a final response (ombudsman route open), or does a regulator warning exist (enforcement leverage)? Any 'yes' means time remains.
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