Bonus Chapter (1): So This Was the Answer All Along

There was something I did not understand
until much later.

I did not receive the award
until after I had finished Love Never Ending.

Before I wrote the final chapters,
I believed my advocacy came from anger.

From the fire.
From loss.
From the scam.
From all the injustices I had experienced.

But when I finished Chapters 53 and 54,
something changed.

I suddenly understood:

What I truly wanted to do
was not fight the scammers.
It was to protect the victims.

Not to place my energy on the darkness,
but to place my energy on the light.

Not because I hated,
but because I loved.

So I revised the acceptance speech I had prepared.

I shifted the focus —
from fighting to protecting.
From anger to love.

And then, on that day,
standing at the podium,
I suddenly understood:

Ming wanted me to stay alive
for more than just myself.

He hoped that one day,
I would help others
stay alive.

Alice Lin is a Los Angeles-based advocate, writer, and speaker dedicated to exposing the systemic nature of modern fraud and protecting vulnerable communities. After losing over $700,000 in a sophisticated “pig-butchering” scam, she transformed her experience into public advocacy—working with legislators on California’s SB 278 to strengthen financial protections, sharing her story across more than 30 media outlets in both English and Chinese, and speaking at conferences and community venues. Alice actively engages with communities through her writing and speaking. Her Chinese-language blog posts on fraud awareness regularly reach hundreds of readers per post, reflecting a growing need for education and prevention. Alice’s story is part of ongoing documentary projects, including an independent production and a forthcoming documentary associated with Frontline/PBS and the Associated Press.

Full text of the acceptance speech

Good afternoon.

First I want to thank Legal Assistance for Seniors, Shawna, and everyone here for this extraordinary honor.
When I received the email about this award, one sentence stayed with me.
Shawna said that this award is given to someone who shows “strength and tenacity in the face of incredible odds.”
This struck me because there was a time when I truly did not know if I would survive what happened to me.

Three years ago, I lost more than $700,000 – my life savings –  in a scam.
However, the damage was not only financial.
Fraud attacks your ability to trust.
Human dignity.
And sometimes, your will to live.
That’s why so many victims stay silent.
The shame is overwhelming.
I know this because I lived it.

For a long time, I thought my advocacy came from anger.
But now I understand it differently.
Real advocacy isn’t just about fighting something.
It’s about protecting those who can’t bring themselves to speak.

That’s why I’ve been advocating for stronger elder fraud protections.
That’s why I’ve been sharing my story.
That’s why I’ve posted about my journey on my website — a series called “Rebirth of a fraud victim.”
Because every financial loss affects a human life.
There are people out there asking:
“How could this happen to me?”
Today, these scams are becoming more widespread, more sophisticated. Awareness and education are so important.

Many years ago, before my husband passed away, he used all the strength he had left to try to tell me three final words:
“I love you.”
At the time, I didn’t fully understand why he was trying so desperately to leave those words with me.
Now I do.
Because sometimes love becomes the force that keeps another human being alive.
And perhaps advocacy is simply an extension of that love.
As I speak out on this issue I do so from a love for humanity.

Today, I stand here for every victim who still feels ashamed to speak.
For every older adult who believes they failed.
And to thank everyone who protects vulnerable people with dignity and compassion.

Thank you.