Fraud victims spend millions on attorneys and accountants trying to recoup losses

Being a fraud victim can be financially and emotionally devastating — then you get sucked into the U.S. legal system.

For some investors, the experience can be maddening as they watch lawyers and accountants eat up $380 an hour and more in fees and expenses paid from recovered investor money as cases drag on.

But for some investors who are left with little money when the scam they invested in falls apart, the system of court-appointed receivers taking over fraudulent operations can work wonders in getting back at least some of their funds — even if it sometimes takes years.