Speed decided this one. An Osaka small-business owner came to us eleven days after Aiko Markets froze her account — early enough that the USDT had barely moved. We recovered nearly three-quarters.
How it started
Yuki was assigned an “account manager” at Aiko Markets who placed trades on her behalf and showed steady gains. When she asked to withdraw, the account was locked behind a “settlement fee.” Instead of paying it, she stopped and contacted us within days — which is exactly why this recovered.
Following the money
Because the report was fresh, the deposit addresses were still warm. We fixed the funding trail, watched it consolidate, and caught one tranche at a KYC-bound exchange before it cleared. A same-week flow report and freeze request held it.
“I did not pay the settlement fee. I think stopping that day is what saved most of it.”
The outcome
Recovered: $34,400 — 72% of the loss. A portion had already been swapped beyond a confident freeze, but the larger share was still attributable and recoverable. The lesson we repeat to everyone: report at the first blocked withdrawal, not after the next “fee.”
Operator on file: Aiko Markets. See more chain-map case studies, or open a case if this sounds like your situation. There is never a fee to send funds with us.