I still remember the day I received the shocking news. The “trader” had been arrested and charged with fraud. The jig was up and it was a Ponzi scheme.
I felt physically sick. At that moment, I didn’t know what was worse, that my money was gone or that I had unknowingly led people I cared about into the same trap.
It was beyond awful to realise that I wasn’t just a victim. I was an accomplice, an unintentional instigator of harm.
My emotions were all over the place. All the same, I knew I couldn’t wait.
I broke the news to those affected. For three nights, I couldn’t sleep. I lost my appetite. My wife, daughter and I were devastated.
We had to tighten our belts overnight and our thoughts ran wild with worst-case scenarios. What if we never recovered from this?
BROKEN FRIENDSHIPS
We were hurting about the financial loss, but even more so, we agonised over the emotional fallout: strained relationships, broken trust and deep shame.
Some friends were gracious and understanding, and I’ll forever be indescribably grateful.
Others weren’t. A few relationships never recovered and honestly, I don’t blame them. They had every right to be angry, to question and criticise my judgment now.
By then, I was no longer in close touch with the friend who had originally introduced me to the trader. Nevertheless, it felt like our friendship, too, was over.
The case went to court but as it unfolded, the victims were divided.
Some supported the prosecution, hoping to recover their money since the trader’s accounts were frozen. Others held onto hope that if the case was dropped, payouts might resume.
Two camps, two versions of denial – and I felt caught between them.
