Exclusive: Marilyn, a 60-year-old from Victoria, thought she was making a wise financial decision when she clicked on a Facebook ad offering a superannuation health check two years ago.

With retirement on the horizon, Marilyn aimed to establish a modest pension for herself after experiencing difficult times, including the passing of her husband in 2016.

She had received a substantial life insurance payout along with their combined superannuation funds and was intent on safeguarding these assets.

Leading the charge among supportive members of a Facebook group is Melinda Kee, who suffered a loss of $360,000 due to the collapse of First Guardian.

Melinda has emerged as a representative for the thousands of anxious Australians who have collectively lost $1.2 billion in retirement savings.

“Melinda came and visited me here,” Marilyn recounted.

“She was just so lovely. She gave me a hug and comforted me… I needed face and a name, having a human being in my kitchen saying, ‘There’s a whole lot of us, and we’re already doing a whole lot of things’.”

Australians like Marilyn and Melinda won’t stop trying to find justice for the 12,000 people who have had their futures stolen.

Marilyn didn’t want to tell anyone about the money she’d lost.

Now, she hopes her vulnerability will help those financial victims still blaming themselves.

“It shook trust in myself,” she added.

“Now, I am finding out how to get back that integrity and dignity. I don’t want to lose faith in myself… or feel I make bad choices.”