Well, the most obvious way to be sure this is not a scam - is that we don’t charge anything in advance.

I'd love to, but I can't. Since we don't charge an upfront fee, I can't disclose the exact nature or location of the funds until we have a signed collection agreement. I'm sure you can understand why we'd both want certain guarantees before moving forward.

Sure you can! This is your money after all; but if you don’t hire a company to do this for you - all attorney/legal fees will be your responsibility and you will need to pay all the upfront costs, incur the risk, and put in the time and work necessary to recover these funds. This is why people hire us first - because we have the experience and expertise to do it for you. And second, you don’t have to spend a dime in advance.