BAITE WEALTH insisted—“for your protection”—that a $2,420 liquidation certificate must be purchased

The exclamation is theirs, not mine. Protection would involve segregated accounts and audited statements, not paywalls at the door out. I asked for their auditor’s name, license, and last attestation. No answer. I asked whether the “certificate” is issued by a court, a clearing house, or a custodian. Also no answer. Instead, they sent a QR code to a crypto wallet and said “faster route.” That is not a financial control; it is an evasion trail. After refusing, I noticed my dashboard balance “recalculating,” which conveniently lowered my equity. Data mutability is a red flag—ledgers don’t wiggle to suit collections. Combine crypto-only requests, new fees at exit, and unverifiable documents, and the pattern is locked in.