Heartbroken and empty: 'Alisa' from WhatsApp stole everything via Mountain Effort. What now?
I just don't even know where to begin. It's been a few weeks, and I'm still in shock. I met 'Alisa' through an unsolicited WhatsApp message, she was really charming and seemed genuine. After a few weeks of chatting, she convinced me to invest in crypto through a platform called Mountain Effort Digital Currency Exchange. Showed me fancy charts, 'returns' on a demo account, the lot. It felt so real. She even sent me photos of her life that I later realised were probably stock images or stolen.
I put in a significant amount of money – my life savings, honestly. When I tried to withdraw, they started asking for 'tax' then 'verification fees' then 'anti-money laundering charges'. Eventually, all my funds were frozen, and Alisa disappeared. I've tried reaching out to them but no reply. I'm in Glasgow. Where do I even start reporting this mess? I feel so stupid and embarrassed. Any advice would be appreciated.
asked by Charlotte Taylor· 3d ago
