I’m an engineer—logical, careful, and not someone who makes rash decisions. But crypto was new to me. I’d been following a few influencers on TikTok talking about “staking pools” and “early access tokens.” Eventually, I found one that seemed really polished and backed by known personalities. I joined what I thought was a presale. Everything seemed in place: a whitepaper, smart contract address, even a slick dashboard showing my earnings. I deposited $87,000 in ETH. When I tried to withdraw, nothing worked. The site disappeared a week later. I was in shock. I’d just drained my savings for what I thought was a life-changing opportunity. A few weeks later, someone in a Reddit recovery thread mentioned Napua Francesca. I reached out, expecting more disappointment. Instead, I found real professionalism. They walked me through blockchain forensics and how they trace on-chain movements. After about a month, they located my ETH in a laundering ring tied to a known scam network. Because some funds ended up in a centralized exchange, I was able to recover $61,000 with their help. I never thought I’d see a dime again. I’m sharing this so others know: there is hope after a scam.