WE WON — AND THIS IS WHY IT MATTERS
On February 26th 2025, £5,607.82 was stolen from EquiPacs’ business bank account in a targeted, sophisticated phishing scam.
On May 20th 2025, every single penny was returned.
This isn’t just a story of loss and recovery. It’s a testament to resilience, advocacy, and the raw power of collective voice. It’s about a small business refusing to stay quiet when every door was slammed in their face. And it's about what happens when the media stops spectating and starts standing up.
When EquiPacs first reached out to us at Equitas, they were already bruised from the runaround: Trip.com wouldn’t take responsibility, the bank wouldn’t reimburse, and police wouldn’t act. It was the same old script that so many small businesses know too well—where bureaucracy protects the perpetrators and leaves victims shouting into the void.
But EquiPacs did something bold. They made noise.
And they trusted us to carry it further.
We’re honoured to have played a small part in that bigger fight.
Within 48 hours of EquiPacs’ first post, the power of community kicked in. Their audience amplified the injustice, calling out Trip.com publicly until the company refunded 50% of the stolen amount. But that wasn’t the end—because justice isn't justice when it's partial.
That's when the media muscle kicked in. Equitas helped tell the story. This Is Money picked it up. The Times followed suit. And as national pressure mounted, silence turned to action. Under public and media scrutiny, the remaining 50% was reimbursed in full.
Let’s pause on that.
In less than three months, EquiPacs went from complete financial violation and institutional indifference to full recovery. Not through quiet compliance. Not through “waiting to see.” But through courage, clarity, and community-backed advocacy.
And that’s why we’re telling this story now—not just to celebrate the win (though we absolutely will be raising a glass), but to show what’s possible when small businesses are heard instead of dismissed.
Because this wasn’t just about £5,607.82.
This was about calling out the systems that protect corporations over creators. The banks that would rather cite policy than stand with their clients. The platforms that shrug when fraud runs wild through their pipelines. It’s about refusing to accept that this is “just how it is.”
It’s also a reminder that media can be a weapon or a shield—and we choose shield, every damn time.
We are deeply grateful to EquiPacs for trusting us with their story. They could have quietly carried the loss, chalked it up to bad luck, and moved on. Instead, they took the risk to speak out, to seek help, and to invite the world to witness what so many small businesses endure behind the scenes.
And to their community—you moved mountains. You showed that advocacy isn’t just for journalists or campaigners; it lives in every share, every comment, every voice raised in solidarity. You made it impossible to ignore. And that made all the difference.
We also want to extend gratitude to the teams at This Is Money and The Times for listening, digging deeper, and giving airtime to what others might have dismissed as “a small claim.”
Here at Equitas, we believe media should serve truth, not traffic. It should protect, not perform. And this is what that looks like.
We will continue to fight for better protections for small businesses. We’ll continue to hold corporations to account when policies fail real people. And we’ll always stand up when silence serves the powerful.
To every founder, freelancer, and family-run operation reading this—your voice matters. Your story matters. And if you’re ever caught between a rock and a broken system, we’ve got your back.
Because when small businesses win, it’s never a small win.
It’s a win for all of us.
With fierce loyalty,
The Equitas Team
PS: If you’re a small business, please share this story. Let’s make sure no one else has to fight this battle alone. Let's build a louder, safer world together.
#WeWon #EquiPacs #Equitas #MediaForJustice #ProtectSmallBusiness #ScamRecovery #FraudAwareness #UseYourVoice #SupportNotSilence #ThisIsMoney #TheTimes
