A Charlotte woman turned to Whistleblower 9 saying her financial adviser won't allow her to withdraw thousands of dollars she thought she was investing for her future.

These are supposed to be the golden years for Alfreda Brooks.  She is 77 years old and 11 years into her retirement but a big part of her nest egg is in question after the man she invested with won't allow her to get her money.

"He laid this beautiful plan out and everything," she said.

Brooks was talking about Desmond Lynch, the owner of Lynch Financial Services in Long Island, N.Y., where she worked before moving to Charlotte.

"I gave him $10,000," she said, on the promise that he would double her money within two years.

Sure enough, a statement sent to her indicates $10,000 in 1995 became $20,000 by 1997 and then last month jumped another $10,000 for a total of $37,500.

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Brooks now wants to cash in.

"You are trying to get your money?" asked Whistleblower 9's Jim Bradley.

"Yes, I am," she said.

"How is that going?" asked Bradley.

"Not good," she said.

Brooks said when she asked to withdraw the money in her account, she was told it wouldn't be available for six to eight months.

That is much longer than she expected and certified financial planner Kelly Graves said he is puzzled too by much of what Whistleblower 9 showed him in Lynch Financial's documents.

"(I've) been doing this 28 and a half years, there are terms on there I'm not familiar with," Graves said.

The contract with Lynch Financial states, "the proper response to a delay in payment is to either simply be patient and positive or instead actively refer clients."

That and other terms raised a red flag at the Better Business Bureau. 

"That's the classic sign of a pyramid scheme or a Ponzi scheme," said Tom Batholomy with the BBB.

That's what Brooks was worried about when she contacted Whistleblower 9. 

Brooks called Lynch as Bradley listened in.

Lynch told Brooks she had signed papers years ago allowing him to use her retirement account as collateral against work he was doing to help her ex son-in-law avoid foreclosure.  Brooks said she never signed a thing.

"The paper I signed?" Brooks asked Lynch.

"Yeah, I'm looking for it.  I'm trying to dig out from underneath because I got tons of files and that was, like, in the file.  Yeah, It's going take me a minute to dig it up," Lynch said.

Bradley interjected, "My name is Jim Bradley.  I'm a reporter with Channel 9 in Charlotte."

"OK. Wonderful, I'm so glad you're on the phone," Lynch said.

"I'm glad I'm on the phone too," Bradley said.

But after refusing to answer questions about where Brooks’ money is, Lynch decided the conversation was over.

"Are you willing to answer our questions?" Bradley asked Lynch.

"Thank you, sir.  We'll take it in steps.  Thank you.  Goodbye now," Lynch said.

"See what I am dealing with?" Brooks asked.

Graves said he's not sure if Brooks actually invested in anything other than Lynch's word. 

"My best advice, Jim, would be you go in with the same caution as if a perfect stranger walked up and said, 'Would you lend me $10,000?'" he said.

"Do you wonder whether your money is really there?" Bradley asked.

"Yes.  I do.  I wonder if it's really there," Brooks said.

Experts Bradley talked with said you should always make sure you know exactly what you're investing in and what you're signing.  And if you're not sure, walk away.

The New York BBB lists Lynch Financial Services as out of business, but Lynch indicates he's still in business and even asked Bradley repeatedly if he wanted to invest with him.

Instead, Bradley passed information about Lynch on to the attorney general in New York and North Carolina.

Brooks is still actively trying to get her money back.