0:00:02 > 0:00:04Millions of us are targeted in scams every year,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06and whether it comes in the form of an e-mail,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08a cold call or a knock at the door,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12they're all designed to do one thing and one thing only -
0:00:12 > 0:00:14to get you to part with your cash.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33Coming up -
0:00:33 > 0:00:36how a conman exploited the trust of a pensioner...
0:00:36 > 0:00:41I suppose I just thought he was... you know, doing a good thing for me.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46..and the £1.5 million property fraud foiled by a police sting.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49I thought, "Wow, this is really going to happen."
0:00:49 > 0:00:51"These guys are actually just round the corner now."
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Well, I'm here to tell you
0:00:53 > 0:00:55what the conman doesn't want you to know -
0:00:55 > 0:00:57how to stay one step ahead of the game
0:00:57 > 0:00:58and not get scammed.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05It's good to have friends.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Old friends, new friends.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11But when those friends come cold calling, knocking at your door,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13pointing out work that may or may not need doing
0:01:13 > 0:01:17for which they're going to charge you a fortune,
0:01:17 > 0:01:18those are friends you don't need.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Builders like this, if you can even call them builders,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26are known to the authorities as "cold callers".
0:01:26 > 0:01:29But the scam isn't always as simple as turning up,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32doing some shoddy work and then running off with your money.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36There are darker, more sinister fraudsters who target the elderly
0:01:36 > 0:01:39and those who are more isolated or vulnerable.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42What starts out as a bit of building work can lead to people
0:01:42 > 0:01:45being systematically stripped of their savings.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Trading Standards' opinion on cold calling builders is,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52you shouldn't entertain them at your doorstep.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57We've seen cases where the effect on the victim emotionally
0:01:57 > 0:01:59has been devastating,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and it can seriously affect the longevity of their lives.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08It's called inveigling - worming your way into someone's home
0:02:08 > 0:02:10and then their heart,
0:02:10 > 0:02:12and it's happened to the woman I'm about to meet.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Christine, known as Chris, is a pensioner from Kent
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and she first came into contact with cold calling builders
0:02:21 > 0:02:23over a decade ago.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Since then, they have taken both her money and her confidence.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31- Hi.- Hello there, Chris. How are you?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- I'm very well, thank you. How are you?- I'm very well.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36- Lovely to see you. Please come in. - You too. Thank you.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40'Chris lives alone in her house in Kent.'
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Can I ask you about your family situation?
0:02:43 > 0:02:48Yes. I have two nephews, one of whom I'm very close to.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51I always say he's the son I never had.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53So you've got people nearby?
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Yes. I don't see a lot of them, you see.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58I'm very independent, and I always have been.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00And it's good to be independent.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02But, unfortunately for Chris,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05it also made her an attractive target for the conmen.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12They'll be looking at people who live alone, who are a bit older.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16The victim is usually a white female in her seventies.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19The seeds of this scam were sown over a decade ago
0:03:19 > 0:03:23when Chris paid some builders to paint the outside of her home.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25It started out with a knock on her front door.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28They said, "If you like,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31"we can paint the outside of your bungalow for you."
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Cos they said it was guaranteed for seven years.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37But seven years later, as if by magic,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39there was another knock at the door,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and the builders were back.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44They came to the door and said, "Your guarantee's up.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47"Would you like us to repaint it?"
0:03:47 > 0:03:49This is a common way of the first step,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53first approach into what can often be a long-term scam.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55They might say, "We did some work for you ten years ago,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57"your guarantee's come to an end.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59"We've come to check up on it."
0:03:59 > 0:04:01And, conveniently enough,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04they even happened to have the right materials.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06"We've got some magnolia left over from another job,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10"so if you agree that we can start now...
0:04:12 > 0:04:13"..we will do it."
0:04:13 > 0:04:14And guess what?
0:04:14 > 0:04:18If Chris acted quickly, it even came with a discount.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21One of the reasons for offering discounted prices,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23and we've got the materials here and now is,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27they don't want to give the victim any chance to think about it,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31to get a second opinion or maybe to consult with a neighbour
0:04:31 > 0:04:33or a friend or family.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35I didn't refer it to any of my family,
0:04:35 > 0:04:39I just did it on my own, did my own thing.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41And the scammers did their own thing, too.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Once Chris had agreed to the paint job,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47there were suddenly all sorts of other jobs that needed doing.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It's part of the whole scam.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54Move around the property, pick on something else and say,
0:04:54 > 0:04:59"This needs doing. We can do it now. We're here now, let's crack on."
0:04:59 > 0:05:02And again, no opportunity to think about it,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05no opportunity to get a second opinion.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- So they painted the house in the first place?- Yes, yes.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09Then what?
0:05:09 > 0:05:12They did at one point say...
0:05:13 > 0:05:16That's the chimney stack I share with next door,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18and he said that is very dangerous
0:05:18 > 0:05:21because as anybody walks past it wobbles.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24He said, "Would you like us to take it down for you?" so I did.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Chris was now being carefully reeled in.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32She agreed to the extra works and was invoiced for a whopping £10,000,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35which she paid for out of her life savings.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38The job was completed in just three days.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40In other words, three grand a day.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43That's very nice work if you can get it.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45The builders packed up their stuff and left,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47but a month later, they were back.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Often, once you are...
0:05:50 > 0:05:54persuaded to have some work done by a cold caller,
0:05:54 > 0:06:00then they'll come back and try something else some time later.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04This time, a smartly dressed young man turned up at Chris's home.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08He held out his hand and said, "You probably don't remember me."
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Which was true, I didn't, really.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14The man told Chris he was from the same company
0:06:14 > 0:06:17as the first set of builders she had in just weeks before.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20He talked really quickly and turned on the charm.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Tell me about him, how he carried himself.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Well, he was always in a suit.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28And when he arrived...
0:06:28 > 0:06:30I mean, I arrived today, you made me a lovely cup of tea.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Anybody that comes through your front door, I would imagine,
0:06:33 > 0:06:34- gets a cup of tea.- Yeah.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Well, not quite, but almost.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Straight away, the young man started talking shop,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42and it wasn't long before Chris was persuaded to pay
0:06:42 > 0:06:46for a long list of minor works with a major price tag.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Once again, the bill came to an enormous £10,000,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54and Chris dipped into her rapidly dwindling life savings to pay it.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Over the following weeks, the man went on a huge charm offensive,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01visiting Chris on a daily basis
0:07:01 > 0:07:05and phoning her regularly to check in and suggest more work.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09The reason is, I think, to befriend them,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12to encourage them to trust them,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15and to make it harder to say no.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17How can you say no to a friend?
0:07:19 > 0:07:22How was that relationship between you and him? How did that work?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24It was my fault. I always do it with workmen.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I make a friend of them.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28There are times when I'm very lonely,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and he'd come and have a cup of tea,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and he told me a lot about his girlfriend.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34His girlfriend had dumped him.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37And I swear there were tears in his eyes
0:07:37 > 0:07:39while he was talking to me about it.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43I mean, all this business of ringing me up every evening
0:07:43 > 0:07:47and asking me what kind of a day I'd had and whether I was well,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- and suchlike, was all soft soap, wasn't it?- Mmm.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Chris can say this now with the benefit of hindsight,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57but at the time she thought he was helping her out.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01It's typical of this type of scam, where they'll abuse their position
0:08:01 > 0:08:06to the extent that they'll convince the victim
0:08:06 > 0:08:08that whatever they say goes.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11I suppose I just thought he was, you know,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14doing a good thing for me, you know,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17to see things that needed doing and offering to do them for me.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Saving me a job in the future, perhaps.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23Believing that the young man
0:08:23 > 0:08:26genuinely had her interests at heart,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Chris agreed to yet more works on his recommendation.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32There was damp in the garage, so the roof needed fixing -
0:08:32 > 0:08:34£9,500.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37The loft needed new felt and repairs to the firewall -
0:08:37 > 0:08:39£11,000.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Most of this work wasn't necessary,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44but over a period of just a few weeks
0:08:44 > 0:08:50Chris was persuaded to hand over an astronomical £35,000.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52She exhausted her savings
0:08:52 > 0:08:55and had to take out a bank loan to cover the costs.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59It seems to me that you were aware quite early
0:08:59 > 0:09:03that maybe the sums of money they were talking about weren't right.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Yeah, I wasn't happy about it for quite some time.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08I think they were here about six weeks,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12and about halfway through, I wasn't happy with it,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14but I felt as though I'd dug myself into a hole
0:09:14 > 0:09:17that I couldn't get out of.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Sometimes they worry about saying no,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22either because there's this friendship,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25or because they're just concerned about saying no
0:09:25 > 0:09:29and fearful of the consequences.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31There's a fear there of, obviously,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34what could happen if you confront them.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39Yes. I don't think I expected them to be violent or anything like that.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Not physically violent,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45but I thought they might be verbally insulting or violent,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48or something like that.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52The victims won't report it to the authorities.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54They won't report it to friends or family.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57This is because they think they've been stupid, they've been foolish,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00they're concerned that their family might not think
0:10:00 > 0:10:04that they're independent enough to look after themselves any more.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- Cos you've got friends. - Yes, I know.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09You've got people you can call on.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Yes, I know, but I'm independent.
0:10:12 > 0:10:13Always have been, you see.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I got to the stage where I wasn't happy,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18but I didn't know what to do about it, you see.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Although worried, Chris was being put under huge pressure
0:10:22 > 0:10:26by the conmen and now agreed to have her patio spray cleaned
0:10:26 > 0:10:29and sealed for £3,800 -
0:10:29 > 0:10:32money she simply didn't have.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36She told herself this was the last job she would agree to,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38as she wanted the builders gone.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40But they had other ideas.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44The victim feels, "If I get this one done
0:10:44 > 0:10:46"and agree to this last piece of work, maybe that'll be it,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49"then they won't find anything else."
0:10:49 > 0:10:51And then they'll try something else, and they'll keep trying it on.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56The last thing they wanted to do was retile my roof.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59I went to the bank because I owed them £3,000,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02and I hadn't got £3,000,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05because I'd already borrowed 25,000 from the bank.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09And I said, "Can I borrow another 3,000?"
0:11:09 > 0:11:14And they said, "Enough is enough," and called in Trading Standards,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16and the rest is history.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Finally, somebody had intervened on Chris's behalf.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Bromley Trading Standards started looking into her case.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32How much in total did you lose?
0:11:32 > 0:11:3455,000.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Sorry, I'm getting a bit emotional.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40And, um...
0:11:41 > 0:11:43It must have been dreadful.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46It was, because I've been very ill afterwards.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49I've had psychiatric treatment and God knows what since,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51and I'm still seeing a psychiatrist now.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Can you describe the effect it had on you afterwards?
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Very, very deep depression.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01I wasn't suicidal...
0:12:02 > 0:12:05..but I was very, very deeply depressed.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07And I'm still taking antidepressants now.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12There is some positive news for Chris.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15A joint investigation by Trading Standards, Scambusters
0:12:15 > 0:12:20and Bromley Police identified the men behind this scam as Ruben Reed
0:12:20 > 0:12:24and his sons, Ruben Junior and George or Georgie -
0:12:24 > 0:12:27the man in the suit who Chris had thought was her friend.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32It was a business relationship which was one-sided.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36The three men had scammed hundreds of thousands of pounds
0:12:36 > 0:12:40from multiple victims, most of whom were elderly or vulnerable.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43All three were found guilty of fraud
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and Ruben Reed Senior was jailed for three years
0:12:46 > 0:12:51and ordered to pay £150,000 in compensation.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Sons Ruben and George got suspended sentences
0:12:55 > 0:12:58and were also ordered to pay compensation.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01But for Chris, who has to come to terms with the cruel way
0:13:01 > 0:13:03in which she was scammed, this is small comfort.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08I'm a great plonker, but you know that, don't you?
0:13:08 > 0:13:11I don't think you're a great plonker at all.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13I can look at what's happened to you and I can see
0:13:13 > 0:13:17exactly why it's happened, because you are a very independent woman.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19- Yes.- And you have been all the way through your life.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- Yes.- And suddenly, along come these guys...
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Well, the may... I mean, I'm not unintelligent.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31I'm not stupid, but they made me feel such a twerp,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34because I trusted them and believed in them.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38And that was... I think that's what made me so ill,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41because I just thought, you know,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43"How could you be so stupid?"
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I've got to say, Christine,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50I meet lots of people to whom exactly the same thing's happened.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Oh, well, that's not quite so bad then, yeah.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56The money is terrible, but the way it's affected you...
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Oh, yeah. That's the worst thing, really, yeah.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04So what are Trading Standards' top tips
0:14:04 > 0:14:07for avoiding cold calling con men?
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Get another quote. Get at least three quotes,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and then you can see how much these things cost.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Shop around to avoid getting conned.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22Often you need to ask yourself, "Do I need to have the work done?
0:14:22 > 0:14:24"Is it necessary? Is it falling down?"
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Often it's not.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31The best way to avoid being ripped off like this
0:14:31 > 0:14:34is simply to stand your ground at your front door
0:14:34 > 0:14:36and say no.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Con artists don't just target people like you and me.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Sometimes, in order to raise the stakes,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50they take it to a whole new level.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55In 2010, a gang of fraudsters targeted a finance company
0:14:55 > 0:15:00in what was to be a truly audacious scam.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05These CCTV stills show the moment when police swept in
0:15:05 > 0:15:08to arrest a gang posing as Arab businessmen,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11just at the moment when they were trying to pull off
0:15:11 > 0:15:13a £1.5 million scam.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16We had plain clothes officers ready,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20about 10 officers, to attend the location,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and we had the support group,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25which are uniformed officers who are in hand
0:15:25 > 0:15:28just in case anything doesn't go to plan.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31The sting was planned with military precision
0:15:31 > 0:15:35because the police got just one chance to catch the conmen.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37If you don't catch them on the height of doing it,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40you will not be able to get them at all.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47These arrests were the culmination of an investigation
0:15:47 > 0:15:49that had begun just a week earlier,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52when the City of London Police had been called in
0:15:52 > 0:15:55by a finance company called Masthaven.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59The Masthaven director contacted the fraud desk
0:15:59 > 0:16:03and informed us of a suspected mortgage fraud
0:16:03 > 0:16:06that was actively going on.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09The seeds of the scam were sown in March, 2010,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13when an independent mortgage broker contacted Masthaven boss
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Andrew Bloom on behalf of some of his clients.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21He said he had two very wealthy borrowers from Middle East origin,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23and they wanted to borrow money
0:16:23 > 0:16:26against this fantastic £5 million property in Bayswater.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29But they weren't after loose change.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32They wanted a whopping £1.5 million loan.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35The finance company were used to dealing with high end clients,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37so nothing strange there,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40as long as they could see the men's passports and proof
0:16:40 > 0:16:44that they owned the £5 million property in Bayswater.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47It gives us confidence that we're lending
0:16:47 > 0:16:50to the people who we think we're lending to,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53so they have to turn up with their government-backed ID
0:16:53 > 0:16:57and proof of address and confirm who they are.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00The men provided the required documents,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02and the finance company confirmed that the name
0:17:02 > 0:17:04on one of the passports matched the name
0:17:04 > 0:17:06on the title deeds of the house.
0:17:06 > 0:17:11So far, so good. Next, the company asked to value the men's property.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16If somebody says their property is worth five million, how do we know?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19The only way we know is by sending in a valuer
0:17:19 > 0:17:21who then confirms if it's worth five million,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24and if it's not, then how much is it worth?
0:17:24 > 0:17:28The company had no reason to believe they weren't dealing
0:17:28 > 0:17:31with two perfectly genuine, wealthy Middle Eastern businessmen.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39But then something happened which aroused Andrew Bloom's suspicions.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42His company insists on a face to face meeting
0:17:42 > 0:17:45with all clients who want to borrow over £1 million.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50A day later, it did make us suspicious
0:17:50 > 0:17:56when, suddenly, the loan was dropped from 1.5 million to 925,000.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59By lowering the loan amount to under £1 million,
0:17:59 > 0:18:04it seemed that the men were trying to avoid any face to face meetings.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07And there was something else suspicious about their behaviour.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10When the company asked them for more information about the property
0:18:10 > 0:18:13they were buying, their answers were evasive.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16When we asked them what was the address, what were they buying,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19why do they need £1.5 million in such a rush,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23they were very flaky with their answer.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Andrew Bloom decided to double check the brothers' documentation.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31They'd provided a utility bill, so he called the utility company
0:18:31 > 0:18:34to make sure the account number on the bill matched the address.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36It didn't.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43It was at this point that Detective Constable Lizzie Roberts,
0:18:43 > 0:18:47a fraud investigator with the City of London Police, was called in.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52When Mr Bloom reported the matter to the police,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56he forwarded the documentations which the scammers provided to him
0:18:56 > 0:18:57in support of the application.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00I conducted some searches with the Passport Office
0:19:00 > 0:19:03and these were definitely false passports.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08In fact, one of the passports was that of a child who had passed away.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12The fraudsters had simply replaced the child's name and address
0:19:12 > 0:19:15with that of the owner of the house in Bayswater.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19It was now clear the police were dealing with a sophisticated scam.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23The men were clearly not the owners of the Bayswater house,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26but they had stolen the identity of the true owners
0:19:26 > 0:19:27in order to secure a loan.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31So who were the real owners of the property?
0:19:31 > 0:19:35And how had the scammers gained access to their details?
0:19:35 > 0:19:40The property belonged to a very rich Arab family
0:19:40 > 0:19:43who, at the time of the fraud, were living in Dubai.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48It was on the market for sale, and it was a vacant property.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51The Land Registry is a government agency
0:19:51 > 0:19:55which lists all properties in England and Wales and their owners.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58It seemed the conmen had spotted this vacant property
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and then contacted the Land Registry to find out who owned it.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Anybody can apply for the title deeds to any property
0:20:06 > 0:20:08anywhere in the United Kingdom.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13So it is not unusual for someone to walk into the Land Registry office
0:20:13 > 0:20:15and ask for a copy of a title deed.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19And this is exactly what the scammers had done.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Somebody did apply for the title deed for that property
0:20:22 > 0:20:24in January, as well as in February.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27And then, when we looked at the information
0:20:27 > 0:20:29provided on the application form,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32I was able to identify specific detail
0:20:32 > 0:20:34which relates to our subject.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35Bingo.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38But this didn't explain how the scammers had gained access
0:20:38 > 0:20:41to the property on the day of the valuation.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44They didn't own the house and had no keys to it,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46so how had they been able to let Andrew's valuer in
0:20:46 > 0:20:48to perform his checks?
0:20:48 > 0:20:50It was really cunning what they did.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54They arranged for an appointment to visit the property
0:20:54 > 0:20:56as if they were interested buyers,
0:20:56 > 0:21:01and then the date that was arranged for the viewing of the property
0:21:01 > 0:21:04was the same date that was arranged for the valuation.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08So there's the estate agent thinking that the two people in the property
0:21:08 > 0:21:10were interested in buying it,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13there's us thinking that the two people in the property
0:21:13 > 0:21:18own the property and they're just there to let in our valuer,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22and there's the real brothers in some other parts of the world
0:21:22 > 0:21:25not having any idea any of this is going on.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28And if anyone asked any awkward questions
0:21:28 > 0:21:30the men were ready with their answers.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33They had told the estate agent that they were viewing the property
0:21:33 > 0:21:36on behalf of their boss, an Arabian princess.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41Once the valuer was measuring up and taking pictures of the property,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45the estate agent asked, "Why is he measuring up?"
0:21:45 > 0:21:47And he was told,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50"Oh, because the Arabian princess wants to get a view
0:21:50 > 0:21:52"of the property inside
0:21:52 > 0:21:55"and also wants to order furniture for the house."
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Ha ha ha! The brazen cheek of it.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01The police now had enough evidence to go and arrest the scammers.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06There was a problem - they didn't know where they were.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09All we had at that point of the investigation
0:22:09 > 0:22:11were all the false documentations.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Although there were photographs on the passports provided,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16we had nothing else to go by.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19They decided to mount a sting operation
0:22:19 > 0:22:21to catch the criminals red-handed
0:22:21 > 0:22:25and in this Andrew Bloom would play a crucial role.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29At this point, the scammers had no idea the police were on to them,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32so it made sense for Andrew to speak to the men's mortgage broker
0:22:32 > 0:22:35and set up a meeting at the Marriott Hotel in London
0:22:35 > 0:22:37in order to sign off the loan.
0:22:37 > 0:22:43The plan was for Mr Bloom to go the reception and ask for the scammers,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47and if he was directed to the scammers,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51then the officer who was with him would just make a phone call,
0:22:51 > 0:22:56which would be an indication for us to know that we were ready to arrest.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57That was the plan.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00But things didn't go according to plan.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03At reception, they had no idea who I was referring to,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05so following the police's instructions that I should
0:23:05 > 0:23:09act normally, I phoned up the broker angry, as you would be.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14And then I get a call from my office saying they're waiting at the bar
0:23:14 > 0:23:19and you will see two people there in full Arab dress waiting for you.
0:23:19 > 0:23:20And at this point I thought,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23"Wow, this is really going to happen.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25"These guys are actually just around the corner now."
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Andrew and the plain clothes police officer approached the two men.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33One of the sheikhs introduced himself
0:23:33 > 0:23:36and gave the full name of the genuine owner
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and introduced the other person present
0:23:39 > 0:23:44as the other person whose name was on the application form.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47The police were ready to swoop in to make their arrests,
0:23:47 > 0:23:52and it turned out the men weren't real Arab sheikhs at all.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Unbelievably, they'd dressed up in costumes
0:23:54 > 0:23:57and had tea towels on their heads.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01The pair were arrested, and a trawl of their mobile phone records
0:24:01 > 0:24:04revealed they'd been in constant contact
0:24:04 > 0:24:06with a man called Shane Martin.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Shane Martin was actually the brains behind the whole scam.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13He never signed any documentation.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15He never appeared on anything.
0:24:15 > 0:24:21But by examining the text messages between all the parties in the fraud,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25we were able to identify that he was directing everybody,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27every single stage of the scam.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Including the fake sheikhs' mortgage broker, Jonathan Flynn.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Phone records from the day of the sting
0:24:33 > 0:24:35showed he'd been talking constantly
0:24:35 > 0:24:38with the scam's mastermind, Shane Martin.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Mr Flynn was very, very clever,
0:24:41 > 0:24:45because he does have the know-how of how the mortgage business
0:24:45 > 0:24:47and the loan application works,
0:24:47 > 0:24:52so he was really crucial in the fraud going ahead.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55It was time for the scammers to have their day in court.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58They were all charged with and convicted of
0:24:58 > 0:25:01conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05Jonathan Flynn was sentenced to four-and-a-half years behind bars
0:25:05 > 0:25:08and was banned from being a director of a company for seven years.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11Shane Martin pleaded guilty,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14so received a lesser sentence of two-and-a-half years.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Ahmed Ali, who posed as one of the sheikhs,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20also got two-and-a-half years in the clink.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24The final member of the gang to be convicted was Shakil Ahmed.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26He failed turn up to court,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28but was sentenced to three years in his absence
0:25:28 > 0:25:30and is still to be found.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34I was delighted that people were given
0:25:34 > 0:25:37significant amount of time behind bars.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39A mortgage fraud is not a victimless crime,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42and it increases the mortgage payments of me
0:25:42 > 0:25:44and every single other consumer out there.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Before we go, there's just time to tell you
0:25:52 > 0:25:56about some of the latest scams out there.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I've come to meet an expert from the Serious Organised Crime Agency
0:25:59 > 0:26:02to get the low-down on what you should be looking out for.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Today we're looking at scams where you think you're getting a job,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12but actually you're unwittingly laundering money.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15How's it likely to happen?
0:26:15 > 0:26:17What will happen is that you will be sent money
0:26:17 > 0:26:20and your job is then to move that money on
0:26:20 > 0:26:25to another bank account somewhere, or to even take it out in cash
0:26:25 > 0:26:28and move it through a money service bureau,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31who will then move it to somewhere else in the world.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34So you do this because you think that's part of your job?
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- You think you're performing a role and you're employed.- Yes.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39In fact, what's happening?
0:26:39 > 0:26:42What's happening is, you're actually money laundering.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46A legitimate employer will never use your personal bank account
0:26:46 > 0:26:48to move its money around.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50So beware, it's a scam
0:26:50 > 0:26:53and could land you in hot water with the police.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Fraudsters will for ever be coming up with new ways
0:26:55 > 0:26:58to get you to part with your cash,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00but armed with a little bit of knowledge,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02you could be one step ahead of them.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Stay safe, and I'll see you next time.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd