She Lost £183,000 to a Forex Scam. 14 Months Later, She Got £156,000 Back. Here's How.

Emma found the platform through a Facebook ad in November 2023. "It looked legitimate," she says. "Professional website. Regulatory badges. Customer service that answered immediately."

She started with £5,000. "Just to test it," she remembers. "I'm not stupid. I wanted to be careful."

Her assigned account manager, Marcus Thompson, called within an hour. British accent. Friendly. Patient. He walked her through the platform, explained strategies, never pressured her.

"He felt like a financial advisor," Emma says. "He'd ask about my daughter, my work, my retirement plans. It felt personal. Real."

The first month, she made £600. She withdrew it successfully. The money hit her bank account in three days.

"That's what hooked me," she admits now. "I could actually withdraw. It proved it was real. Or so I thought."

Over the next three months, Emma deposited more. £15,000. Then £45,000. Then, after Marcus showed her a "limited-time opportunity" in forex pairs, £118,000 more.

"He said it was a strategy used by institutional investors," Emma explains. "He showed me charts, analysis, projected returns. My account was showing £240,000. I thought I was securing my retirement AND leaving something for my daughter."

Marcus called her every Tuesday. He sent weekly performance reports. The platform showed green. Everything looked perfect.

Until March 12, 2024.

"My daughter got into her master's program. I was so proud. I wanted to help with fees. I logged in to withdraw £15,000."

The withdrawal request went to "pending."

She called Marcus. No answer. She tried again. Voicemail. She checked her email. Nothing.

She called the platform's support line. A different voice answered. "There's a security review on your account. Temporary hold. Standard procedure."

For two weeks, Emma called daily. Different excuses each time:

• "Technical issues with the payment processor"
• "Additional verification required"
• "Your account has been flagged for suspicious activity"

Then came the email that shattered her: To release your funds, you must pay 18% tax liability upfront: £43,200.

"I actually laughed," Emma says. "Not because it was funny. Because it was so absurd. They wanted me to send MORE money to get my own money back."

She refused. Three days later, the website was offline.

Marcus's phone went to a disconnected number.

Every email bounced back.

£183,000. Gone.

"I couldn't tell my daughter," Emma says, crying now. "I couldn't tell anyone. I was so ashamed. How could I have been so stupid? I'm an educated woman. I thought I was careful. And I'd just thrown away everything."

She stopped sleeping. Lost 12 pounds in two weeks. Couldn't focus at work.

"I thought about ending it," she admits. "I genuinely didn't see a way forward. That's how dark it got."

Emma's sister found her crying in her kitchen three weeks after the platform disappeared.

"I finally told her everything," Emma says. "I was so ashamed, but I couldn't carry it alone anymore."

Her sister had read about legal fund recovery services. "She said, 'You have to at least try. What do you have to lose now?'"

Emma was skeptical. "I thought, 'I just got scammed. Why would I trust anyone else with money?'"

But her sister insisted. "Just get a case review. They said it's free. No obligation."

On April 8, 2024—four weeks after losing access to her funds—Emma filled out a case assessment form.

"I didn't expect anything," she says. "I was going through the motions because my sister wouldn't let it go."

Within 18 hours, she received a call.

"They asked me very specific questions," Emma remembers. "Transaction dates. Screenshots. Email correspondence. They weren't making promises. They were gathering evidence."

The recovery specialist explained:

• The platform was operating illegally
• Similar complaints had been filed across Europe
• There were legal mechanisms to trace and freeze assets
• Recovery wasn't guaranteed, but her case had strong elements

"For the first time in a month, I felt like maybe this wasn't completely over," Emma says.

The legal team worked on contingency. No upfront fees. They'd take a percentage only if they successfully recovered funds.

"That made sense to me," Emma says. "If they're willing to work for free unless they win, they must believe they can actually do this."

"It wasn't fast," Emma admits. "But they updated me every two weeks. I knew what was happening. It felt legitimate."

On June 23, 2025—14 months after the platform disappeared—Emma received the call.

£156,247.33.

After legal fees (they took their agreed percentage), Emma received £127,000 back into her account.

She didn't get everything. The remaining £27,000 was never located. But she got most of it.

"I cried for two hours," Emma says. "I'd accepted it was all gone. I'd started over in my mind. And then I had most of my retirement back."