The Algorithm Ate My Savings

By S A Spencer -

 


How a Gen Z investor lost everything—and sparked a digital reckoning.

Story: S A Spencer

Author of Popular Fictions: The Pink Mutiny, The Black Waters, Dream In Shackles


🎬 The Burn Begins

Zoya’s fingers trembled as she hit “Post.” The video was raw, unedited, and furious. Her voice cracked halfway through, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t here to be polished. She was here to burn.

“I followed @CryptoQueenie’s advice. I invested $3,000 in a coin she said was ‘about to explode.’ It exploded alright—into dust. I lost everything. And I’m not the only one.”

The video was barely 90 seconds long. But within an hour, it had 12,000 views. By sunset, it was trending.

Zoya hadn’t planned to become a whistleblower. She was a freelance graphic designer from Melbourne, 23 years old, with a knack for colour theory and a weakness for TikTok rabbit holes. She’d stumbled onto FinTok during lockdown—those bite-sized clips where influencers promised financial freedom with just a few clicks.

@CryptoQueenie was her favourite. Blonde, bold, and always smiling, she spoke in the language of Gen Z: “Passive income,” “side hustle,” “retire by 30.” Her videos were slick, her charts colourful, and her confidence contagious.

Zoya had watched one clip on loop:

“This coin is backed by AI and green energy. I’m putting in $10K. You do you, but don’t say I didn’t tell you.”

Zoya didn’t have $10K. But she had $3,000—her savings from a year of freelance gigs. She transferred it to a trading platform linked in Queenie’s bio. It felt thrilling. Adult. Empowered.

Three weeks later, the coin tanked. Not dipped. Tanked. The platform froze withdrawals. Customer support vanished. And @CryptoQueenie? She posted a dance reel the next day, no mention of the crash.

Zoya waited. Maybe Queenie would explain. Maybe she’d warn others. But silence stretched into betrayal.

📱 The Unmasking

Zoya’s video wasn’t just a vent. It was a spark. Comments poured in:

“Same here. Lost $5K.” “She blocked me when I asked about the coin.” “Her link goes to a sketchy offshore exchange.”

A journalist from Channel 7 messaged her. Then a podcast host. Then a lawyer.

Zoya started digging. She found that Queenie’s “recommendations” were tied to affiliate deals. Every click earned her a commission. The coins she promoted were often “pump and dump” schemes—hyped by influencers, dumped by insiders.

She learned that Australia’s financial regulator, ASIC (Australia’s version of the SEC), had warned about unlicensed financial advice on social media. But enforcement was slow. Influencers danced faster than regulators could chase.

Zoya wasn’t the only one burned. But she was the loudest.

📄 Excerpt from The Finfluencer Files (Zoya’s Google Doc)

Affiliate Loops: @CryptoQueenie’s bio links to “GreenCoinX” via a referral code. Each signup earns her $50. Her video claims: “This coin is backed by AI and green energy.” No evidence found. Exchange is not registered with ASIC.

Deleted Comments: Multiple users report being blocked after asking about coin performance. Screenshots attached.

Hype Cycle Pattern:

  • Day 1: Influencer posts “This coin is about to moon.”
  • Day 2–3: Followers invest.
  • Day 5: Coin spikes, then dumps.
  • Day 6: Influencer posts unrelated content. No accountability.

🎙️ The Reckoning

Channel 7 aired a segment that night: “TikTok Finance: The Dark Side of Finfluencers.” Zoya’s clip played first. Her face blurred, voice altered. But her fury was unmistakable.

The report named @CryptoQueenie. It showed her videos, her affiliate links, and her silence after the crash. A spokesperson from ASIC confirmed they were “monitoring the situation.”

Queenie responded the next day with a polished video:

“I’m just sharing what works for me. I never told anyone to invest. DYOR — do your own research.”

Zoya watched it twice. The lighting was perfect. The tone was calm. The comments were disabled.

She posted a reply:

“DYOR doesn’t excuse deception. You knew people were copying you. You profited from their trust.”

Her followers surged. So did the backlash.

Some influencers defended Queenie. Others distanced themselves. A few deleted their accounts.

🎧 Zoya on “The Money Mirror” Podcast

Host (Jules):

“Zoya, you’ve become the face of a movement. Did you expect this?”

Zoya:

“Not at all. I just wanted to scream into the void. I didn’t think anyone would listen.”

Jules:

“What do you say to people who blame you for not doing your own research?”

Zoya:

“I did some. But when someone has 200K followers and says ‘I’m putting in $10K,’ it feels like validation. We’re wired to trust what’s popular.”

Jules:

“Do you think influencers should be regulated?”

Zoya:

“Absolutely. If you’re making money from people’s clicks, you’re not just vibing. You’re selling. And selling financial advice without accountability is dangerous.”

🧠The Warning

Zoya never got her money back. The platform vanished. The coin was delisted. But she gained something else — clarity.

She started a blog: FinFlare. Her first post was titled “How I Lost $3,000 and Found My Voice.” It went viral.

She ended it with a warning:

“If someone’s making money from your clicks, they’re not your friend. They’re a salesperson. And the algorithm is their megaphone.”

💬 Call to Action

Have you ever followed financial advice from social media? Do you think influencers should be held accountable for the risks they promote?

Share your thoughts in the comments below. If this story resonated with you, share it with someone who might be investing on impulse. Let’s make financial literacy louder than hype.

📜 Disclaimer

This story is a work of fiction inspired by real-world trends in social media-driven investing. All characters, events, and platforms depicted—including @CryptoQueenie and Zoya—are entirely imaginary and created for narrative purposes. While the story references actual concerns about financial influencers and regulatory oversight, it does not portray any real individuals or companies.

Mentions of Channel 7 refer to publicly available news coverage and are used here to contextualize the fictional narrative. No endorsement or collaboration is implied. Readers are encouraged to seek professional financial advice and verify sources before making investment decisions.

S A Spencer- I will bring more stories for your entertainment. Please follow me  on Facebook and Twitter so that you know when a new story comes.

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