SUCCESS STORY
Vector: fake AI yieldInstrument: USDT, ETHLoss: $96,000Location: Seattle, USATimeline: 11 daysRecovered: 88%
How it began
Priya found Apten through a polished ad promising automated yield. The dashboard showed steady gains, and a friendly account manager encouraged her to scale up. She moved most of a house deposit across over two weeks.
Where it turned
When she tried to withdraw, the platform demanded a profit-release tax. She paid it; then a second fee appeared. That was the moment she contacted us instead of paying again.
“I am an engineer. I felt stupid for missing it. They never made me feel that way — they just got to work.”
What we did
- We stopped any further fee payments immediately.
- We mapped every deposit from her wallet and bank to the receiving addresses.
- We followed the funds across one bridge to two exchange deposit wallets.
- We filed evidence-backed freeze requests with both exchanges within 72 hours.
88%
recovered, because she stopped paying fees early and the funds had not yet fully dispersed.
Red flags in hindsight
- Guaranteed or automated yield with no verifiable custody
- A fee demanded before any withdrawal
- Pressure to scale deposits quickly
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