Episode 5 X-Ray

You're watching X-Ray. On the programme tonight: They thought they

had bagged prizes in a national talent show, but these Welsh winners

have been left empty-handed. Paul's battle to get �14,000 back

from the company that bought his valuable gold coins. The firm that

told John they would protect his car from rain and snow. So how do they

we are enjoying the sunshine in Abergavenny. Have you dreamt of

making your name on stage or screen? Last year hundreds of people took

part in a national talent show, hoping to win amazing prizes, but

for many, the road to star dom has been more bumpy than expected.

Talent contests have taken over the TV screens. It seems that everyone

wants to be the new face, the latest pop sensation. Mms of people apply

-- and millions of people apply for the role.

We practise every Thursday straight after school. My dance teacher gives

me a nickname called Pocket Rocket as I go so fast. It is fun it keeps

you fit it is a laugh to go to dance.

The dance duo, Shannon Davies and Eloise Hull thought that they were

on the road to fame and fortune when they went up against hundreds of

hopefuls in the 2012 Festival4Stars. One of the biggest talent contests

in the country. The nine-year-olds could not wait to compete. The proud

mums cheered them on. This was a two-day dance festival.

They were excited and nervous. They did really well.

A share of a 00,000 prize fund, the promise of record contracts and the

chance to perform in L A tempted hundreds of youngsters, to sign up,

but the road to the finals did not come cheap.

You were looking on close to �1,000. Between the accommodation, the ing

food costs. The dance lessons. But they thought it money well spent

when the girls danced their way to a runner up spot in the finals in

October. They thought a share of that massive prize fund.

They danced amazingly. Very, very proud of them. They were presented

with one krerticate. -- certificate and told that the

prize would follow at a late date. And Elloise and Shannon were not the

only act to prove a hit in the competition. Musical theatre

student, Rosie Johns from Barry, thought her star was rising when she

finished as a runner up in the finals of the singing competition.

I have always sun. I enjoy it. It is my passion to sing on stage. I love

# No kind of walking # I can't work out what I've done

wrong... The prizes were promised as a recording contract in L A, Dubai,

saying that it would be signed up with a recording contract.

Like Elloise and Shannon, Rosie thought her luck was in, that she

would soon get her reward, but after the curtain closed on the

competition, the girls' prizes were nowhere to be seen.

Because behind the glitz and the glamour, all was not well. As far as

the contestants were concerned, the competition ran smoothly from the

heats to the final, but that was not the full story. Two different

companies have been involved in running the 2012 Festival4Stars. The

heats were organised by Cheshire-base based 2012

Festival4Stars, by the time that the finals came around, there was

another company, Festival for Stars had become involved. Similar names

but there was doubt on whether or not the prizes would materialise but

the trouble is that no-one told the contestants. They could not

understand why eight months on they they were still empty handed. For

Louise Hall, the impact was huge. I won my category. I won the whole

of the singing section overall. How did you feel when you won?

on a high for a few weeks. What prize did you think you had won?

was told I was had won a trip to New York to record a mini release album

and a �25,000 development fund. Did you get the prizes? No. I

thought it would be my big break. Singing is my dream. I thought I

would get out there and do what I love to do, but nothing

materialised. Many other contestants are furious.

A Facebook group has been inundealted from complaints from

families who say that they cannot get straight answers from the

organisers. A dance troupe were promised a chance to perform at

Disneyland, Paris, but Disney told us, when we checked, that this had

nothing to do with the competition and never agreed to provide prizes.

The children and families feel that they have wasted time and money.

They are no closer to reaching their dream.

I felt really upset because they promised us all of the prizes and we

did not get anything apart from a certificate.

So, what is going on? Well, it is all a bit of a mess. The company

that ran the heats, UK Festival for Stars. Say that they had nothing to

do with the prizes, that they pulled out due to financial problems and an

issue to do with the member of staff, that meant that the

contestants could not be contacted to be warned about the difficulties.

They added that the second company were to help out, but we spoke to

them and they insist that they are not to blame. That the finals were

run by the previous company and they just offered the support. So, very

confusing, but what about the prizes? Well, Festival for Stars

Talent Search UK, say that Louise Hall will still get a prize,

although they are not say saying exactly what and Rosie and Shannon

will get a �20 shopping voucher each. We are keeping an eye on the

story, if you have been affected, let us know.

If you feel you have been let down or ripped off by a rogue trader,

give us a call on: Or drup us an e-mail at:

Or on Twitter, send us a tweet: How save are your pass words? We tell

you the best way to beat the online hackers. The company that refuses to

stump up the cash for Paul's valuable gold coins. On a day like

today, it is easy to forget that Wales gets more than its fair share

of bad weather. Especially in the winter, but when a viewer from

Pontypool tried to protect his car from the elements, he had more to

deal with than falling snow as Rod has been finding out.

It was a cold January day. The forecast was snow.

At r -- it was a time for snowballs, schools to close and to take care on

the roads. Better still in weather like that,

wrap up warm and head indoors. Ideally, you would not leave your

car exposed to the elements either. Parking it up somewhere dry.

Something like this perhaps? A car port. It can be cheaper than

building a garage. The construction can be done in a

quicker time. It was done in a matter of four hours. The garage

would need planning permission and would be a greater project.

John Burley from New Inn near Pontypool, spotted a company called

Crystal Canopies. He was planning ahead for wint and tempted by a

�2,000 car port. We have a large dog. In the bad

weather it is good for my wife to back up into the drive. Grooming the

dog every time she has taken her for a walk.

So when the sales person arrived, what did he have to say? I was

concerned about how worthy the product was. He me it could take ten

tons of weight. Crystal Canopies makes a big deal

about its s able to stand up to pretty much any weather. Frost and

snow, bring it on that is a brave slogan. They even have celebrity

backing. The weather forecaster, John Kettley, is the face of their

adverts. He says that you will have frost-free screens under one of

their car ports, but John Burley was lucky enough to have a wind screen

left at all in January. We had had a snowfall about 36 hours before, that

was lying around as the temperatures were low it happened late at night.

We had gone to bed at about 11. 30pm. We heard a tremendous crack.

My wife said, " What on earth was that?" We went to one of the

windows, you could just about see that the thing was sitting on top of

the car. In the cold light of morning, this

was the scene that greeted John. Two struts had snapped under the weight

of the snow. The car part had collapsed on to the car beneath.

We were totally distraught by the whole thing. The weakness of it is

appalling. With the first fall of snow we get

and down the thing comes. It is quite frightening.

The damage was extensive. Nearly �3,500 in total that included �2,000

for the car port and almost �1,500 to repair the car. Within hours,

Crystal Canopies were around to clear the remains of the car port.

The holes on the wall on the side of the house are all that is left.

Unfortunately for John, that is about all that they did do quickly.

The guy came and took it down. He said they would send it back it

would abfew days. I said we were going on holiday, we would not be

back until the 28th of February. They had time to thought things out.

We went away, thinking when I get back it would be resolved, but we

arrived back. There was nothing. # John Kettley, John Kettley, he's

the weatherman. We rang the good folks at Crystal Canopies. John also

wrote three letters of complaint, but said he got nowhere. He is

considering legal action. As John Kettley would say, that the outlook

is not looking good. I think that the way I have been

treated is very, very poor. I would not have confidence in them putting

a replacement canopy up, feeling that the first fall of snow we had,

that any vehicle under there or any person walking under it would be

safe. And then there is the car. Crystal

Canopies have made no offer whatsoever to repair the dents or

scrapes caused by their complapsed car port.

They offer you a five-year no quibble guarantee.

I wonder what they don't understand about the phrase, " No quibble." .

Not a happy customer. Crystal Canopies say that problems with the

car ports are rare. That they have fitted tens of thousands of canopies

across the UK. In John's case they blame freak weather conditions, but

the adverts claim that the car ports are fully resistant to snow loading.

They say that they have made John a new canopy and asked him to send in

a quote for the repairs to his car before they decide if the insurance

pays out. If you have been hacked? Iffior

online pass wards -- pass words are not up to scratch, criminals could

have a field day at your expense. Security is second nature to us now

days. You would never leave the house without locking the front

door, but when it comes to our online security, we take a lot more

risks. Research revealed that more than

half of us are using the same pass word for most websites we visit.

Over a quarter are using easy to remember pass words like birthdays

and the names of family and friends. Jason Hart knows about this. He is

an ethical hacker, representing E-crime Wales. There are different

types of hacking, but the main attack at the moment is account

takeover or pass word attack. Jason thinks that we are making it

too easy for the criminals to guess pass words.

You use the same pass word, something unique to yourself, a

family name, pet name, a hobby, tr an interest. It is common. When I

used my computer, the pass word was my dog's name. That is common.

Gardening writer, Lynne Allbutt, admitted she never gave her pass

word thought until her e-mail account was hacked last year. She

was robbed in Spain and needed 700 euros to get home.

There was a huge panic. Then he a phone call from a dear friend, he is

in 80s. He was very upset on the phone, saying he was about to wire

the money. He was in the bank. That changed the dynamics, totally. It

went from being an inconvenience to suddenly feeling violated and

vulnerable. The bank had encouraged Lynne

Allbutt's friend to call her to check if this was a hoax it was. It

has left a sour taste in her mouth. Somebody, somewhere was sitting at

their computer, pretending to be me! It was horrid.

Lynne Allbutt's experience shows how daring the hackers can be. We have

asked Jason to demonstrate the techniques that they use on the

stall holders here. Jane is about to experience a social engineering

attack. This is when the hackers try to get hands on your personal

information. It could be from clues you revealed online or face-to-face.

We asked her a number of questions. In the questions, theres was an

answer I was looking for. Most oil accounts have secret

questions in case you forget the pass word. The answers are based on

personal details. If the hacker finds that information, they can

change your pass word and take over your account.

Asking the questions, you told me the answer to that secret question.

From that, I gained access to your Hotmail account. I have access to

your whole life now. That is scary! So, any answer to a

secret question online, try not it put them on Facebook or make them

public if anyone asks you questions over e-mail or talking to you, do

not answer it. Pick up a pass word you think nobody can guess,

obviously I did! It was as easy as that! People put too much personal

information on the social networking sites. The place of birth, the first

school, jobs, history. People don't realise that this is information

that they are putting on there, that it is harmless, but an attacker can

use that information against them to compromise them.

Jason turns his attention now to Lucy on the bakery stall. He sent

her a speculative e-mail that appears genuine. Something that many

hackers do. This is a spear attack. There is is

a link. She is clicking on the link to access the Facebook account. She

thinks she is logging into Facebook but it is a fake fuse book account.

We are then able to capture her user name and pass word. Unfortunately we

have the pass word. Be careful.

I should change it now? Please. Be careful you know what websites you

are logging into. And criminals do what Jason has done to Lucy on a

global scale, sending millions of e-mails.

This is how they are doing it. Sending mass e-mails to individuals.

Or using something to get people to click on to the link. They think

they are logging tonne the real site but it is a fake one. Then without

the user realising, they get an error and the pass word has been

xrom ised. What can you do to ensure that your

pass word is more secure than MI5? Don't use personal information like

your pet's name or date of birth that can be found on social network

sites. Change pass words on a regular basis. Use at least eight

characters. The longer the pass word, the better. Incorporate

numbers and symbols combining upper and lower case letters. If you

forget your pass word, why not use a phrase? Take the first letter of

each word, add in numbers and symbols and Bob's your uncle...

X-Ray is my favourite programme on BBC One. Sorted. So, has Lynne

Allbutt tightened up her online security? Definitely. I see it as a

gift now. It was horrid at the time, but it was a gift to increase my

awareness of security and to increase my security.

Lots of good advice. That is on the website. Next with gold prices

riding high, you may be thinking about selling off valuables to raise

extra cash, but how do you make sure you get the best deal? There are so

many places keen to buy your gold. On the High Street, in the

supermarkets, online and postal companies ready to buy it, so let's

see who the people of Abergavenny would turn to if they had gold to

sell. Have you ever sold any gold? gave my granddaughter gold to sell.

How did she get on? She was OK. I think she got a council of bob.

Where did she go? To a jeweller's. She didn't use a post back or card.

She went to a proper jeweller. If a property asked you to send off

your gold, would you do it? I would be dubious. I would research the

company. Would you feel comfortable if you

sent it off? No, definitely not. What experience have you had when

selling yours? Did you get a good price? Not really it was in

comparison to what it was. It was about �30 you had for it.

Go to a proper jeweller's. Why? Because I think I would get the

best price and I would trust them. So, mixed feelings, but for one

X-Ray viewer, handing over his gold proved a costly mistake. We know the

expression, worth its weight in gold but in recent years, record gold

prices have given the saying more meaning than ever before. It seems

that everyone is trying to get in on the gold rush from pawn brokers to

supermarkets. Anyone lucky enough to own some of the y could find that

their investment is worth a fortune. That is what Paul Williams from

Rhondda hoped when he started buying up the precious metal.

When did you first start collecting coins? About 10 or 15 years ago.

Rather than putting money into a building society, I thought that the

coins would be a better investment for the future.

Over the years Paul managed to rack up a collection of gold sovereigns.

Like these ones. In the autumn of 2011, he finally decided it was time

to cash in his investment. Two of my daughters had decided that

they were going to get married in the near future. It was coming up to

my wife and I's Roubi wedding. We decided to go on a cruise.

Paul wanted to make sure he got the best price for the coins. After

doing his research on the internet, he thought he had the ideal firm for

the job GSK Ltd promised customers, a smooth, hassle free and satisfying

sale. They seemed keen to get their hands on Paul's sovereigns.

GSK Ltd asked Paul to send he is coin collection to them for

evaluation, but Paul was not keen to let the goods out of his sight. So

he and his wife decided to make the journey to meet Mr Richard Blundell,

the man behind GSK Ltd. Richard offered Paul �20,000 for the

collection. Paul would get �5,000 in cash, and receive the remaining

�15,000 via a bank transfer in the next few days.

He gave me a bill of sale. He signed it. It was on company headed paper

it all seemed reasonable to me. But Paul would soon regret being so

trusting. Weeks later, he was city waiting for

the �15,000. So you had �5,000 but when did you

realise there may be problems getting the rest? Numerous telephone

calls. Numerous e-mails back and forth reminding him of the

agreement. He always seemed to have some

excuse. I then agreed with him that he would

pay me �1,000 a month. That was until the �15,000 had been

paid. With a payment plan in place, Paul

hoped he would finally get the money he was owed, even if it took a

little while. A one-off payment of �1,000 turned

up. I was surprised. But I thought at least it is now

going to happen, that I will get the regular �1,000 a month off him to

clear the debt. But sadly, Paul's hopes were not to

be fulfilled. That payment in March, last year, was the last time he

received any money from GSK Ltd or Richard Blundell. You may think that

the story has a familiar ring to it you would be right. This is not the

first time an X-Ray viewer has been left thousands of pounds out of

pocket by GSK Ltd. Last summer we featured this story

of lana and Chris Cook from Tonypandy. They thought that their

collection of gold coins was worth at least �3,000. They sent them to

GSK Ltd for a free evaluation, only for them to disappear. The company

claimed that the curer firm left the valuable package under a van on a

driveway, that it had been stolen. Of course, you think, what is going

to happen? ! At first, the firm offered the couple compensation,

before doing a U-turn and withdrawing the offer. A year later,

lana and Chris are still without any coins or money.

We have discovered that the money fronting GSK Ltd, Richard Blundell,

has had a far from glittering career. He is not allowed to be a

director of any company, after being disqualified for six years. The

reason: He was deemed unfit director of an insolvent company. The judge

ruled it was in the public interest to disqualify him. Not the kind of

man to entrust your valuables too. -- to.

So if you have gold you would like to sell, what is the best way to

ensure you get a fair deal? If I had gold I wanted to sell, there is is a

big if in, there but I would go to the local High Street it is safer to

deal with a local trader face-to-face over the counter so go

to a reputable jeweller. That advice comes too late for Paul.

The occasions he had hoped to finances have been and gone.

One of my daughter's got married in Easter. I got to the situation write

felt that the funding of the wedding was going to be difficult from my

point of view. What was it like having to explain

this to your daughter? Was very hard to do. But she was more concerned

about mine and the wife's well being, than the fact that she was,

that her an her future husband, were going to have to fund the wedding.

18 months on, Paul's hopes of getting his �14,000 back are fading

way. It has been a devastating

experience. Well, we had lots of questions for

GSK Ltd and Richard Blundell but despite our attempts to contact him,

he does not want to talk to us. Trading standards are also

investigating Paul's case and others. We will keep you updated.

That is it for this week. If you would like us to investigate

Next week, they say they will send a security guard to your home if you