Attorney Retainer Agreement
A few days later, documents arrived from the lawyer.
Two copies of a Attorney Retainer Agreement.
But I didn’t sign them. I didn’t send them back.
Something felt wrong. The discomfort inside me kept growing.
So I made a decision:
“I want to cancel and get a refund.”
Eventually, the money returned to me was—
Only 80,000 yen.
I had paid 500,000 yen. Only 80,000 yen came back.
I demanded an explanation.
“What exactly did you investigate?”
Later, they sent me a single sheet of paper.
It contained only domain information for what looked like an overseas brokerage website.
The moment I saw it, I understood:
“They didn’t investigate anything.” Or perhaps— “Even if they did, it was meaningless.”
Then the lawyer told me:
“We have refunded you. Do not contact us again.”
And on top of that, they made me sign a memorandum stating that I must keep all previous communications confidential.
That was when the truth hit me:
I had lost money in the first scam— and then lost money again when seeking help.
This was secondary victimization.
A Message to Readers
Right after being scammed, people desperately want to “get their money back.”
And there are those who prey on that desperation.
- “We can recover it immediately”
- “If you don’t act now, it will be too late”
- “You can pay later”
If you hear these words, please stop and take a breath.
The Lawyer’s True Identity
The lawyer I hired was indeed registered with the Tokyo Bar Association.
But I kept researching him.
Eventually, I found an announcement on the Tokyo Bar Association’s official website.
Dated December 17, 2025
It stated:
“Due to the finalization of a criminal judgment in which the attorney was a defendant in a fraud case, his registration was canceled on November 21, 2025, under Article 17, Item 1 of the Attorney Act.”
I was speechless.
The person I had trusted— the person I had turned to for help— had been disciplined for fraud.
I had been deceived again.
End of Episode 8 – Part 2
→ Continue to Episode 9 (Part 1)
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