A Call for Help: Single woman, a prisoner of Costa Rica. Read this nightmare story.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to share my deeply distressing experiences since moving to Costa Rica from the USA. What was intended to be a fresh start has unfortunately turned into a harrowing ordeal that has tested my strength beyond measure. I want to let you know upfront that costa Rica is not a checkbox option for GoFundMe so I am still a US citizen using the city in the country where I recently moved from.

The emotional and physical scars from a life of pain and suffering stemming from childhoodand abusive relationships have lingered longer than I wished. I’ve faced the profound loss of my son in a motorcycle accident, endured a six-year emotionally and physicallyabusive relationship, and coped with the subsequent death of my mother. A severe slip and fall accident has left me with life-altering injuries, compounding the challenges I've faced.

Throughout my life, I have always tried to stay strong and positive and be a role model for the younger generation that worked for me being a mentor and an inspiration through all my PTSD and trauma. Always the person who paid it forward and helped others. Yet now, I feel trapped and alone in a situation that I never imagined I would face. In desperation, I recognized it was time for a significant life change. After hearing my daughter rave about Colombia's beauty, I began to contemplate a new beginning outside of the country. My research led me to Costa Rica—an enchanting place known for its breathtaking rainforests, beaches, and renowned retreats. After a soul-stirring visit that deeply connected me to a house I viewed, I decided to relocate in January 2025.

Sadly, complications arose almost immediately. My real estate agent, who I later discovered is also related to my lawyer that she highly recommended and that I hiredwas involved in a scam that cost me dearly. She also recommended the international moving company who scammed me out of $20,000 cash wired upfront from the US and stole my entire life, contained in two 40-foot shipping containers. To compound my frustrations, further scams by my architect and contractor and workers workers who is the husband and partner of my real estate agent led to the loss of my remaining savings—$250,000—leaving me on the brink of homelessness within three months as she convinced me to do a owner finance after putting 50% down because costa Rica banks wouldn’t touch me because I was not a permanent resident yet.

I am in shock that people could exploit others’ hard work and hard-earned money so callously. I have had no choice but to reach out to the FBI, Interpol, and OIJ, Costa Rica’s version of the FBI. In this country, it seems you must pay to pursue justice and put the criminal behind bars, which adds to my feelings of betrayal and helplessness. I posted my story on costa Rica Facebook groups and it was unbelievable. How many other of those moving companies victims came forward with their own horrific stories.

Fortunately, I was smart enough to place GPS trackers in my shipping containers which helped me locate them. However, they are currently held up in customs for nine frustrating months, racking up shipping, Storage and luxury tax fees that I had initially paid to the moving company but were never forwarded to the shipping company or customs. I have been working diligently with my lawyers to prove this was already paid for and that it was not fair that I had to pay again plus the additional storage fees for the time it’s been sitting there with the total now standing at $45,000. My belongings include irreplaceable items—my son’s ashes that I planned to honor with a ceremony here in Costa Rica, family photos, my children’s first shoes and baby books, my personal and petsmedical records, all of my client files and business, hard drives, and computersand other invaluable mementos.

There is at least $200,000 worth of value in those shipping containers that would allow me to recoup my losses once I retrieve and sell them.

I am prepared to offer evidence and proof of everything I'm sharing in this story to anyone who needs it; I possess OIJ reports, FBI reports, police reports, Interpol documents, and more, demonstrating that I am not a scammer.

I am reaching out to you, not only for support but also for advice on how to navigate these immense challenges.

Any financial , guidance or assistance you can provide would mean the world to me as I endeavor to turn this chapter of my life into one of growth and fulfillment.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Your kindness and support are deeply appreciated.

With gratitude,

Brenda R

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