When Trust Hurts the Recovery
When Trust Hurts the Recovery: Why Some Clients Can’t Be Helped—And How Others Found the Courage to Try
After more than a decade helping Canadians recover stolen funds—especially from crypto and investment scams—we’ve seen something surprising.
It’s not just the scammer that makes a case difficult.
Sometimes, it’s the client’s fear. Their silence. Their hesitation to trust anyone ever again.
And we understand. Because we’ve seen what fraud can do to good people.
📖 LISA’S CASE – Trust Too Late
Lisa, a 61-year-old retired teacher from Vancouver, contacted us three months after losing $472,000 CAD in what she believed was a long-term investment with a man she met on LinkedIn. He claimed connections to a private crypto fund in Hong Kong. The returns seemed real — until they didn’t.
By the time Lisa reached out, she had already been targeted by fake “recovery agents” who promised miracles, demanded upfront fees, then vanished. She was terrified of being tricked again.
So she waited.
- Avoided signing our engagement agreement
- Didn’t share her transaction history until week five
- Never reported the fraud to her bank or the police
By the time we accessed the wallet addresses, the scammers had moved the crypto through four tumblers and converted it into Monero — untraceable.
We had the tools. We had the legal pathways.
But we ran out of time.
We never charged Lisa. Not a cent.
But we carry the weight of what might have been.
📖 RAHIM’S CASE – Trust That Made All the Difference
Then there was Rahim.
Only 28, he lost $142,000 CAD — almost all his savings — in a fake trading app called “PrimeCrypto Markets.” Everything looked official: charts, dashboards, even a “personal broker” messaging daily.
When the withdrawal screen froze, he knew.
Rahim contacted us within 36 hours.
Was he scared? Yes.
Was he skeptical? Absolutely.
But he said something on our first call that stuck with us:
“I’ve already been robbed. I don’t want fear to rob me again.”
He shared his transaction IDs, screenshots, and every email and message. He let us act fast.
Two weeks later, we froze the destination wallet through a legal partner in Singapore.
Within 21 days, we recovered $112,000 CAD. The remaining funds had been moved to a gambling site and couldn’t be retrieved.
Still, we recovered 79% of what he lost.
🧱 The Wall We Face: Emotional Fallout
Scam victims often feel shame. Many don’t even tell their families. When someone offers help—especially online—the instinct is often to recoil.
But here’s the truth: inaction helps the scammer.
Silence is what they count on.
Every day that goes by is one step closer to the funds becoming unrecoverable.
We can only win the race if we’re allowed to start it.
🛠️ What You Can Do to Help Us Help You
If you’ve been scammed:
- Don’t wait until you “feel ready.” Ready may never come.
- Don’t let embarrassment stop you. We’ve seen it all. Nothing shocks us anymore.
- Be open. If we ask for a police report or documents, it’s because it matters.
- Ask questions. We want you to feel safe.
- Don’t second-guess yourself into paralysis. Fear doesn’t recover money — action does.
A Client Who Taught Us Something
In 2023, a wealthy client offered to fly our legal team to his private island to thank them for recovering $820,000 USD. We politely declined (per our no-gift policy). But before ending the call, he said:
“It’s not just the money you recovered. It’s the feeling that I’m not alone anymore. That someone fought back for me.”
That’s what we’re here for.
Final Word
At United Asset Protection INC., we don’t just chase funds. We walk with people through one of the most difficult chapters of their lives. But that walk has to be taken together.
So if you’ve been scammed—whether you’re panicking, frozen, or unsure—don’t wait for courage. Just talk to us.
Because the sooner you act, the more we can do.