Once a Victim, NOW a Victor!

Never in my life did I ever think I would be writing this post, but here I am. Back in October of 2022, I was feeling so alone so very lost. I had been in a struggling marriage for years with my 2 boys. I mourned my marriage over the summer while my marriage counselor and my actual therapist told me that if I was to stay " it was on me for change" and if I were to go, "it was on me for change". Not knowing where to turn but needing affection I started to look online for Love. I needed to feel loved. Going through many profiles over the summer it seemed Men were only into two things, sex and money. I didn't wish to have either. I was like to hell with this. But, then "Austin" came into my life. He was handsome. He had all the right words, and he was persistent. He came after me, which never in my life did I ever have such a man whom seemed to want me, unconditionally. I was pretty hesitant. I had my walls up. Within a week he said he wanted to be " a part of my family for real" that I was " everything he ever dreamed and wanted in life". Still my walls were up. Within a couple of weeks he told me he "loved me" numerous times, but I was NOT buying it. I ignored it so many times. Then he started to ask me if "I loved him" I told him I was "falling for him" yes. But, I was still resistant to love piece. So we spoke of life what he did for work, what I did for work, why I was in my current situation and he seemed to still want it all. He said he worked for his company for 12 years and if we were to be serious we could start using his company for our financial gains. Still hesitant and still not buying all of it. We spoke on the phone...but here comes the worst of everything. We video chatted he was so handsome! I was Sold. I wanted him! He wanted me. Let me do this, let me try. I hadn't opened my heart in 22 years....here I go! So, I fell, I fell so very hard. With multiple pics and songs back and forth and his videos slides of me and him on my birthday I was so very much in love. I wanted to support his business and he was gonna move here from LA to be with me and my kids in February! So, what is with his business what is with what he does. He is a Forex Trader. So, I google searched it all, what they make for income, what they do, how it works. Well, he had me open an account with his company. At the time: arktradeunit.com. He said, " because he was the man of the house he would put in more money to what I put in" . I opened my account. There was $3000.00 in my account! He sent me a picture with a BIG smile on his face. I was sold. I went to deposit my first of many! $2000.00 I put into the machine. I was so scared. I was shaking. He walked me through every step. He was so supportive. Now I was a Victim of his terrible Plot! Over the next few months I would speak morning noon and night with him feeling supported and feeling on top of the world. I was so happy! I was finally doing something for me. my kids, something big. I was investing in our future. I future I was building with "Austin" but mainly for myself and my kids. If it didn't work out, I would just give him his money back. I didn't care, the relationship for me was never about money! Over the holidays he continued to manipulate me to invest even though I had to move my small business, Christmas and our Family's Disney Trip we had planned way before any of this took place. I had a plan. I always had a plan. But, this plan had it's challenges too. I was taken advantage of in every aspect. He was manipulating me to take out loans to make our "target" that he set for us. This was territory I was not familiar with but I was determined to do what was asked. So, I took out loans for my business that I had to move anyway and invested the majority into his company, that now had become smartglobalfinance.com for security purposes. I didn't understand much at the time but he was eager to explain and I always believed him. He had a way with workds all the time if I had doubts. I even sent him romance scams because 2x I questioned it directly to him, but he had a way to make me believe I had nothing to worry about and he would "never believe that there were people out there doing this." So here comes Fast Forward to February. All targets had been hit. He was coming to see me! We were going to be together. I hadn't told many people of what I was doing. For once in my life I was keeping a lot to myself. I shared with a close friend, I was about to leave my marriage and my situation. Things didn't sit right with her. She went home to her husband whom works in IT security....He found out " Austin" was not real. Austin's company was NOT real! She came over with 50 pages of pictures of this man "Victor Gratidao" that I had in my phone....wait WHAT??? I couldn't even process this. I had just made my last deposit to his company in the ATM of $5180.00. What was happening???? I couldn't breathe, I started pacing the floors back and forth. I called her back over...I told her I invested with his company $62000.00!!!! I had to go to law enforcement right away and report it. I had to tell my husband. I was leaving him and we were out this amount of money because I thought I was investing for my future with the kids. I had NO idea, there was no ill intent here. I thought I was creating a nest egg to leave as most women tend to do. Now, how to get my money back. Report Report Report! Well, I had reported everywhere and I continued to stay in contact with "Austin" playing the game and hoping that he would give me my money or that he would show up here. He never did. With a team of IT security we almost had him through Skype but then he caught on. I had to do damage control to keep him talking to me. I was sick. I was so hurt. I wanted revenge. How could he do this! How could he do this to my boys? I thought he was real. I finally couldn't handle it anymore. I told him I found his identity wasn't real. Deny deny deny is all he ever did. Never owned anything! Over the next two weeks were hell, so many emotions. I tried to plea with him. Nothing worked. So, I said, 'you have two options, Option 1 you give me back what is rightfully mine. Option 2, you're not going to like option 2"! I told him to "be ready". The 3 weeks I had do scam the scammer I took screen shots of everything. I had already saved everything thank God. But, I had somewhat of an advantage so I was going to use every bit I could. Finally I told him, he was reported everywhere! Even after that he still continued to reach out to get me to pay "fees' to get my withdrawl and said it was the only way it could happen. I never gave him or his said company another dime! But, law enforcement dismissed me. said I didn't lose enough money to have them help or the FBI help. Reports went everywhere, FBI, IC3, FTC, Local Law Enforcement, Attorney General's office, Cybera, BBB, you name it, it was reported. No one has helped me. I did more of my own investigation myself, seeing one wallet having over 19,000 transactions on it. I guess that isn't enough money lost either to get the FBI to help??? I was told by local law enforcement to just "accept it and move on" . NO I will not do that at all! That's when I was desperate and looking for anyone to hear me. I found Glyn. Glyn finally heard me and my story. I am now working with Glyn to help other victims become Victor's! This is a true and very hurtful story, but I am resilient. Probably the most resilient woman you have ever met in your life! I have been through worse. This was 7 months of my life. It struck me hard. It was a lesson learned but, with a lot of support and a lot of research and a community that I am now part of, I am no longer a Victim of this heinous crime! I am a Victor and I'm crime fighting for one victim at a time, one crime at a time, one step at a time! with multiple victims and their stories that come forward, maybe just maybe law enforcement will finally take this seriously and help people such as myself and many others who have gone through the same terrible experience. We as a community need to help and support one another. I am doing just that! Sometimes it takes just one to start! I am your ONE! I am here! Let's all persevere together!