Case studies

Case studies, with the losses left in.

Each of these clients agreed to let me describe their case. Names and identifying details are removed. Amounts, timings and outcomes, including what could not be recovered, are not.

Case studies: 32
Scam types: 21
Losses shown: $31M

01A $1.24 million home purchase, recalled within a dayA spoofed title-company email sent a couple's purchase funds to a fraudster's account. Fast action caught most of it before it moved.Business email compromise$1,240,000Aug 2026

02860,000 USDT traced to an exchange that froze itA fake trading app took $860,000 in USDT over four months. Tracing found where a quarter of it landed, and that part was frozen.Crypto investment scam860,000 USDTMay 2026

03A second scam, stopped before it was paidAfter losing $615,000 in Bitcoin, the client was contacted by a 'recovery firm' asking for $45,000 upfront. The free review stopped it.Recovery scam$45,000 fee avoidedJul 2026

04A 'safe account' transfer and gift cards, frozen the same eveningA fake 'Social Security officer' talked an elderly woman into wiring her savings to a 'safe account' and buying gift cards. Much of it was caught in time.Government impostor scam$540,000Sep 2026

05Wire recalls and card disputes after a five-month romance scamWires and card charges to a fake 'travel agency' over five months. The recent wires and the disputes still in time were recovered.Romance scam$720,000Jul 2026

06A fake vendor invoice at a construction firmAn invoice with changed bank details looked like it came from a regular steel supplier. The receiving bank returned most of it.Business email compromise$865,000Jun 2026

07A cloned CEO voice and a $1.6 million wireThe controller received a call in what sounded like the CEO's voice, asking for an urgent acquisition deposit. Most of the wire was stopped at the receiving bank.Executive impersonation$1,600,000Apr 2026

08A month of payroll sent to the wrong accountsA phished HR login was used to change direct-deposit details for dozens of employees. Most of the money was still in the receiving accounts.Payroll diversion$612,000Nov 2025

09A retired teacher's $1.1 million in BitcoinA friendly stranger on social media guided the client into a fake trading site over eight months. Two exchanges froze part of the funds.Crypto investment scam$1,100,000Feb 2026

10A law firm's settlement payout, redirectedA hacked client mailbox sent the firm new bank details for a settlement payout. The receiving bank froze most of it.Business email compromise$1,450,000Sep 2025

11A pop-up 'refund' that drained a brokerage accountA fake security warning led to remote access, a fake 'overpayment' and wires to a so-called federal agent. The last three wires were caught.Tech support scam$735,000Jan 2026

12A fake exchange app and $1.8 million in USDCAn app in the official app store showed real-looking trades and profits. The USDC went to scam wallets, and the issuer froze part of it.Crypto investment scam1.8M USDCJun 2025

13A signed approval that emptied a DeFi walletA fake airdrop site asked the client to sign a token approval. The drainer took everything within minutes. A small part was frozen.Wallet drainer phishing$940,000 in ETH and tokensDec 2025

14A SIM swap and an emptied exchange accountThe client's phone number was moved to a scammer's SIM, and his exchange account was taken over overnight. Most of it landed at another exchange.SIM swap$680,000Mar 2025

15Wires to an 'engineer on an oil rig'Over 14 months the client wired money for 'equipment', 'customs' and 'medical bills'. A domestic money-mule account still held part of it.Romance scam$1,050,000Oct 2024

16A church investment club that was a Ponzi schemeA trusted member ran an 'investment club' that paid early members with later members' money. A court-appointed receiver has returned part of it.Affinity investment fraud$1,920,000May 2025

17Advance fees for an inheritance that never existedTwo years of 'legal', 'tax' and 'release' fees for a foreign inheritance. Only one US account could be reached.Advance-fee fraud$575,000Aug 2024

18A vacant lot sold by someone who did not own itA scammer posed as the owner of three vacant lots and closed the sale remotely. The proceeds were caught before they left the receiving bank.Seller impersonation fraud$820,000Aug 2025

19Six weeks of cash fed into crypto ATMsA caller posing as the client's bank said his accounts were compromised and had him withdraw cash and deposit it at crypto ATMs. Part of it was frozen.Bank impostor scam$510,000Mar 2026

20Deposit for a container of gloves that never shippedA 'manufacturer' with a convincing website and inspection reports took a deposit for nitrile gloves. Part of the wire was frozen overseas.Supplier fraud$1,350,000Nov 2024

21A non-profit's grant payment sent to a fake accountA spoofed email from a partner clinic changed the bank details for a grant disbursement. Nearly all of it was returned.Business email compromise$690,000Oct 2025

22Savings turned into gold and handed to a courierCallers posing as federal agents told the client his identity had been stolen and had him buy gold bars to 'protect' his savings. Police seized part of it.Government impostor scam$1,200,000Jun 2026

23An 'AI trading bot' that only ever went upVideo ads for an AI trading bot led to a dashboard that showed daily gains. Tracing found one exchange that froze part of the funds.Crypto investment scam$760,000Aug 2026

24A presale token that vanished after launchThe team behind a token presale pulled the liquidity a day after launch. The deployer's wallet led to an exchange account with a real identity behind it.Rug pull$530,000Feb 2025

25A home equity loan wired to a 'safe account'A caller from 'the bank's fraud team' convinced the client to take out a home equity loan and move it to a 'protected account'. Most of it was stopped.Bank impostor scam$585,000Jul 2025

26A practice purchase paid to a spoofed escrow agentThe buyer's broker's mailbox had been compromised, and the closing funds went to a fake escrow account. Most of it was frozen the next day.Escrow fraud$1,475,000May 2026

27A brokerage account taken over and liquidatedSomeone used leaked credentials to log in, sell the client's holdings and move the cash out. The brokerage reimbursed all of it.Account takeover$910,000Dec 2024

28A forex 'managed account' with an offshore brokerAn unlicensed broker took deposits by card and wire for a 'managed' forex account. Card disputes and one bank recall brought some of it back.Offshore broker scam$1,080,000Apr 2025

29Stolen and altered checks from a business accountChecks stolen from the mail were washed, altered and deposited. The bank reimbursed every one after a properly built claim.Check fraud$540,000Sep 2026

30Taxes on a sweepstakes prize that was never realThe client was told he had won a large sweepstakes prize and paid 'taxes and fees' for three years. One recent payment was recovered and the payments stopped.Sweepstakes scam$505,000Jun 2024

31A 'blockchain lawyer' run by the same scammersAfter losing $1.7 million to a fake investment platform, the client paid a 'law firm' $210,000 to recover it. Tracing showed both went to the same wallets.Recovery scam$1,910,000Jan 2025

32A mortgage payoff sent to the wrong lenderA fake payoff statement sent the refinance proceeds to a scammer's account. Nearly all of it was frozen before it moved.Business email compromise$1,020,000Mar 2024

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