0:00:02 > 0:00:03Scam artists, conmen and tricksters,
0:00:03 > 0:00:07they trouser an estimated £6 billion every year, from you and me -
0:00:07 > 0:00:10the British public.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13They don't care who they target or how much damage they cause.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15All they want to do is get their mitts
0:00:15 > 0:00:17on as much of your cash as they can.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Coming up, the outrageous lottery scam that almost ripped
0:00:37 > 0:00:39a family apart.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42It nearly destroyed my marriage.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And the corkscrew conmen who used their knowledge of wine
0:00:45 > 0:00:48to live the high life at their victims' expense.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51- Here we are in New York... - Having it large!
0:00:51 > 0:00:55I'm here to tell you what the conman doesn't want you to know,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58how to stay one step ahead of the game and not get scammed.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09You might assume that all scam artists these days
0:01:09 > 0:01:12apply their trade on the phone or the internet,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16where it's easier to hide their faces and their intentions.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20But there are still old-fashioned conmen out there who prefer
0:01:20 > 0:01:21doing things face to face,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and have the audacity to target people on the street.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Street scams are quite prevalent, and these take the forms
0:01:29 > 0:01:30of street gambling
0:01:30 > 0:01:35or perhaps selling you perfume or gold.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Many street scams appeal to the fact that we don't want to walk by
0:01:39 > 0:01:41and let a bargain go.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45But while some street scams are fairly simple, there are others,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47like the one I'm about to hear, that are so elaborate
0:01:47 > 0:01:50and carefully engineered they could have come
0:01:50 > 0:01:52straight off the pages of a Hollywood script.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58The man I'm about to meet was targeted
0:01:58 > 0:02:00as he was walking down the road.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04And the events that followed left him feeling utterly out-of-control.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Sam is 79 years old and lives with his wife in North London.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15He originally comes from India but moved to Britain 50 years ago
0:02:15 > 0:02:18'and spent most of his working life at the Foreign Office.'
0:02:21 > 0:02:23What was your role?
0:02:23 > 0:02:25I was a publicity officer,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28to popularise the British aid programme
0:02:28 > 0:02:31to over 140 countries of the world.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35You've devoted your life to helping people all around the world.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Is that something that's very important to you?
0:02:38 > 0:02:42It was a very satisfactory job that you have done something.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Sam is now retired, but even AFTER he retired
0:02:48 > 0:02:51he continued to provide a service to people in need.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Here, helping anyone who wants to know about citizenship,
0:02:57 > 0:03:02or they cannot speak the language, I had been helping them.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06- So it's in your nature, even after retirement, to help people.- Yes.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08And people from different countries.
0:03:08 > 0:03:14I had been a social worker by nature, you see, from the beginning.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17If I can help anyone, I will do so.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Sadly it was precisely this desire to help
0:03:21 > 0:03:23that the scammers took advantage of
0:03:23 > 0:03:25when they targeted Sam earlier this year.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30It all started when Sam was approached by a man claiming
0:03:30 > 0:03:33to be from Bhutan, on the border of India and China,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37who wanted direction to a nearby solicitor's office.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39How did this gentleman appear?
0:03:39 > 0:03:44An old man, walking very slowly with a stick.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Just simply, he asked me the name,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52if I know the solicitor and the street.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56The opening ruse of just asking for help, just appeals
0:03:56 > 0:03:59to our good nature. Most people want to help others, and once
0:03:59 > 0:04:03you start helping someone, you start forming a bit of a bond with them.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06The man didn't speak much English and appeared confused.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09As Sam's used to helping foreign nationals in need,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11he was keen to pitch in.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16The man told him he had a winning lottery ticket
0:04:16 > 0:04:17and that the solicitor in question
0:04:17 > 0:04:20had promised to give him some money for it.
0:04:20 > 0:04:26He simply said, "I am anxious to find the solicitor because he has
0:04:26 > 0:04:33"promised to give me £35,000 cash against the Lotto I have won."
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Initially it didn't seem a very plausible story.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Most people with a winning lottery ticket would go
0:04:38 > 0:04:41and cash it in, not sell it to a solicitor.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44But the man told Sam he wasn't interested in the winnings,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48he just wanted to get enough money to go back to his country.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54He doesn't speaking English, he had no passport,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58and he is from Bhutan, and he wants to return to his home.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Sam felt sorry for the man and wanted to help,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04but as he didn't know the solicitor and was unfamiliar
0:05:04 > 0:05:07with the area they were in, he was at a loss as to what to do.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11It was at this moment that a second man appeared.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15He was wearing a blue suit with the insignia of a bank.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22And he said, "I'm a bank manager, can I help?"
0:05:22 > 0:05:25These type of scams, you need what's called a claim of authority,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28that's an authority figure who you can believe in.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32You don't expect a bank manager to be involved in some intricate scam
0:05:32 > 0:05:35so this really starts drawing you in,
0:05:35 > 0:05:40that it's a believable, genuine situation that's occurring.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Sam grew up in a traditional family in India,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46where professional people like bank managers
0:05:46 > 0:05:47are held in very high esteem.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50He was immediately impressed by this smartly dressed,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52very capable-seeming young man.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56- He's presenting himself as a bank manager.- Yes, he is.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58What effect does that have on you?
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Well, the fact was that I trusted him.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06As the foreign man didn't speak much English,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10the bank manager then asked Sam to translate for him.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14He said, "I live here, I know this solicitor.
0:06:14 > 0:06:22"He's not a good man, and please tell him not to trust this person."
0:06:22 > 0:06:27What's quite clear from what's happened here, it is rehearsed,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30that each of the individuals in the scam know their part,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32they're playing their part well.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37And they are just creating a world around the victim
0:06:37 > 0:06:39which is very credible.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43The first stage of the scam had now been achieved.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46The scammers had appealed to Sam's good nature to draw him in,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50then they'd given him a role to play - that of interpreter.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53And now the bank manager moved on to the next stage.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56He said, "Could you come and sit down in the car
0:06:56 > 0:07:00"so that we can sort this thing out?"
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Then he said, "Can I see the Lotto ticket?"
0:07:03 > 0:07:06What's happening here is the scammer's taking control.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09He's a figure of authority, he's now going to tell everyone what to do.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12And that puts him in the position of power
0:07:12 > 0:07:14and you in a position of weakness.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16The foreign man produced the lottery ticket
0:07:16 > 0:07:20and the bank manager then put in a call to the Lottery helpline
0:07:20 > 0:07:23to check whether the man really had won.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27I think it's important that, as part of this scenario,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31that there's some so-called independent verification
0:07:31 > 0:07:34that it's a winning ticket.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38He said, "They have checked, yes, you have won £300,000.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40"You come and collect it."
0:07:40 > 0:07:45Yet despite this huge win, the foreign man was insistent
0:07:45 > 0:07:47that he just wanted the £35,000 the solicitor had promised
0:07:47 > 0:07:50so he could get back to Bhutan.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58He simply went on repeating, "I want to go home, I want to go home."
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I simply thought that he'd want to go home
0:08:01 > 0:08:07due to certain circumstances and he's not happy in this country.
0:08:07 > 0:08:12At this point the bank manager presented Sam with a proposition.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15He suggested they could give the foreign man the £35,000
0:08:15 > 0:08:20instead of the solicitor, and then split the lottery winnings 50/50.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25In a way, though, did you think to yourself,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28"I'm doing the same thing as the solicitor?
0:08:28 > 0:08:31"I'm giving him less than the value of the ticket."
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Did that not enter your mind at all?
0:08:33 > 0:08:37No, I think I was totally mesmerised.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Whatever he kept on saying, I went on doing,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44without even asking any questions.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47In hindsight Sam knows that what the bank manager
0:08:47 > 0:08:51was suggesting was morally wrong. But at the time, and with everything
0:08:51 > 0:08:54happening so fast, he found himself agreeing to the scheme.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02We went and got a bundle of notes. He said, "I have got £18,000.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05"You must be having some money."
0:09:05 > 0:09:09I said, "Yes, I have got nearly £12,000.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14And he said, "You can give it to him, go and collect the money."
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Showing the money is the one thing
0:09:16 > 0:09:19that adds huge credibility to this scenario.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20You see the money,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23and I think you start almost salivating
0:09:23 > 0:09:25about what lots of money looks like.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Sam was now so caught up in the situation,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33he began thinking about how this money could benefit his family.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38My daughter, she works in the hospital.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42I thought I'd help them ease a little
0:09:42 > 0:09:46because they are very hard up, with two children to bring up.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48So he agreed to withdraw the money.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53And now, as is so often the case with scams, the pressure was on.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56The one thing the scammer doesn't want you to do is stop,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58think and reflect on what is happening.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Is this a likely scenario, are these people credible?
0:10:02 > 0:10:06If you haven't got time to think, you're completely taken away by it.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08The scammer told Sam that he would drive him
0:10:08 > 0:10:12to the bank to withdraw the money. Sam agreed to this,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15and withdrew all his savings.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19The scammers now had £12,000 of Sam's hard-earned money in their car.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22But this still wasn't enough for them.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Appearing to realise that he wasn't getting a good deal here,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30the old man suddenly piped up, and said he wanted more money.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34The scammer will try to get as much money out of the victim as they can.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39- They want to wipe them out. - He told me, can I take my ring off?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I took my ring off and give it to him.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Can you tell me about that ring? Where did it come from?
0:10:45 > 0:10:49That ring was my mother's. A very heavy ring.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53It must be nearly £2,000.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56The scammers now had Sam's life savings
0:10:56 > 0:11:00AND a precious family heirloom in their possession.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03All that remained now was for them to make their getaway.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06But first they needed to find a way to get rid of Sam.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10And this is when the foreign man's acting skills really came into their own.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15- He said, "This man has puked." - Physically sick.- Yes.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19The foreign man was clearly in a bad way
0:11:19 > 0:11:21and started shouting out the name of a medicine.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Again, in his eagerness to help,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Sam agreed to go to the chemist to get it for him.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31In the cold light of day this scenario seems farcical.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35But Sam had been quickly and cleverly manipulated by the two men,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and had complete trust in them.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40By this stage, you've gone through, been in the bank,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44seen the lottery ticket, seen the cash, you 100% believe
0:11:44 > 0:11:46in these people and the scenario.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Having been deceived into thinking he was helping
0:11:49 > 0:11:53the foreign man and would also be reaping the rewards
0:11:53 > 0:11:57of a substantial lottery win, Sam set off to collect the medicine.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01But when he came back, he was in for a nasty shock.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04When I came back, they had gone.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Sam had handed over his life savings and a precious ring
0:12:12 > 0:12:16given to him by his mother. He was now left with nothing.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21At the moment where it had really sunk in, what had taken place,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24can you describe your feelings?
0:12:24 > 0:12:30I was very unhappy and I was very sorry of my stupidity,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33the way I behaved.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38The fact that a decent man like Sam was persuaded to go along
0:12:38 > 0:12:42with a scheme that was morally wrong shows just how manipulative
0:12:42 > 0:12:46scammers can be, and, for Sam, it's almost as hard to bear
0:12:46 > 0:12:48as the loss of the money.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Can you tell me what that £12,000 means to you?
0:12:52 > 0:12:54All my savings gone.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56We wanted to go on holiday,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58we had to cancel because we have got nothing left.
0:13:00 > 0:13:06We had a lot of problems in the family, me and my wife,
0:13:06 > 0:13:11and we couldn't reconcile... for a very long time.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13It nearly destroyed my marriage.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Can you tell me what the loss of your mother's ring means?
0:13:19 > 0:13:21That was the only thing,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24which she, with great love, saved for me
0:13:24 > 0:13:26and gave it to me.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28And I...just lost.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- That must be very hard to take. - Very hard.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Sam has learnt a bitter lesson,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40but he's not the only person to have been taken in.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42It appears that the Asian community in London are being
0:13:42 > 0:13:46specifically targeted by these scammers,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50and many have been persuaded to hand over their entire life savings.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54I know maybe what you are feeling is,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57at some point greed took over.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02If you look at the decisions you made, they were largely due -
0:14:02 > 0:14:04it seems to me -
0:14:04 > 0:14:08to your desire to help because you wanted to help him,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10the old gentleman,
0:14:10 > 0:14:14and you saw opportunity to help your daughter, and you took that.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Yes.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20The reason, it appears to me, the scam worked on you
0:14:20 > 0:14:21is because it was very clever.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Sam reported the crime to the police,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28but unfortunately the scammers who did this to him are still at large.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32So how can YOU avoid the same or similar fraudsters?
0:14:32 > 0:14:37These scams rely on the fact that they are pressured, urgent,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41lots of things going on, and that's confusing.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45So the thing to do is to step outside of it, to stop
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and think for a moment, are you being scammed?
0:14:48 > 0:14:52So don't allow yourself to be pressured into anything.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54When somebody in the street starts asking you
0:14:54 > 0:14:58for thousands of pounds, you've got to think
0:14:58 > 0:15:02there's something very dodgy about this situation.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Don't hand over any money in the street at all.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06And finally...
0:15:06 > 0:15:09If you think you've been scammed on the street, I'd say,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12don't be too embarrassed about it, many people are,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15tell a police officer or call Action Fraud.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18We need to stop the next person from being scammed.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Yeah. I like wine.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33Lots of us do, that's why we spend £7 billion a year on it.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38And wine CAN make a good investment if you know what you're doing.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41The important word there, of course, being "can".
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Because it also CAN make an excellent scam.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Meet some likely lads from North London.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53- Here we are, in New York. - Having it large!
0:15:53 > 0:15:55This is the roof of our hotel.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58It is wild here in New York.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Kicking back on the rooftop of a swanky hotel,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05it looks like success has gone to their heads.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07We're making it large!
0:16:07 > 0:16:10And the secret of their success?
0:16:10 > 0:16:14- Done! - The Bordeaux Wine Trading Company.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20But some of these lads living the high life are lowlifes.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23The Bordeaux Wine Trading Company Ltd was a scam.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26While the guys were filling their glasses,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29they left scores of investors, like Lesley here, with theirs empty,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32when they took their money and bought no wine.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Conned out of thousands of pounds, Lesley was obviously...
0:16:35 > 0:16:41Bitter, sad...that people live that sort of lifestyle,
0:16:41 > 0:16:46and take advantage of people like myself, who are legitimate.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51Back in 2006, investing in expensive wine was seen as a smart bet,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54and particularly En Primeur wine.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58This process involves speculating on the future value of a wine.
0:16:59 > 0:17:06They are investing in five or six well-known chateaus in France.
0:17:06 > 0:17:11And investing in a wine that is produced by those five chateaus.
0:17:11 > 0:17:17In the space of just a few years, En Primeur wine can triple in value,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19making it attractive to investors.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22But it's the length of time it takes to produce this wine
0:17:22 > 0:17:24that attracts the scam artists.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29People will invest money whilst it's in the barrel,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32they will pay the company the money upfront
0:17:32 > 0:17:37and not expect to see that wine for 18 months, 24 months.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42That gives the scammers 18 to 24 months to live
0:17:42 > 0:17:46a lifestyle that they can only dream of, before disappearing.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51Lesley had been investing in wine for six years, and was no fool.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54He'd actually doubled his money in that time,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57largely by gambling on En Primeur wine.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01You get certain tips from people who are in the know,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04as to whether you should go ahead
0:18:04 > 0:18:06and buy that particular En Primeur.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09So he thought nothing of it when a salesman he already knew
0:18:09 > 0:18:11called him up with an attractive offer.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14The Bordeaux Wine Company was where I started investing.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19And one of the salesmen, or the wine broker,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22a chap called Ose, that's all I knew him as.
0:18:22 > 0:18:28But he was with Bordeaux Wine Company, and then I had a call
0:18:28 > 0:18:32from him to say that he had moved to Bordeaux Wine Trading Company.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37I didn't actually notice the word "trading" when he contacted me.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43At this point we should make it clear that Bordeaux Wine Company
0:18:43 > 0:18:44is a proper, respectable company,
0:18:44 > 0:18:49whereas the Bordeaux Wine Trading Company Ltd was anything but.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54Not that Lesley was to know at the time, when Ose gave him the spiel.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Ose knew a lot about fine wines.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01I had no doubts whatsoever. I invested £15,000.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Lesley was well aware he wouldn't get his wine for 18 months,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09but when that time passed and he'd heard nothing, he became uneasy.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15And then I made a search on the internet.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Lesley saw that other investors were complaining
0:19:18 > 0:19:21about the Bordeaux Wine Trading Company Ltd,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23all saying that no wine had arrived.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26That's what brought me in touch with the police.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29The complaints came from across the country,
0:19:29 > 0:19:34but the office was in Potters Bar, on the Hertfordshire police's patch.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38The job of looking into them fell to financial investigator Pete Thody.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43The main investigations that we would conduct initially is
0:19:43 > 0:19:46to have a look at the company bank accounts
0:19:46 > 0:19:48because that will tell a story
0:19:48 > 0:19:51of how that company is conducting itself.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54So, the first step was to get a court order from a judge
0:19:54 > 0:19:57that allowed them to examine the company's bank accounts.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01The results confirmed their suspicions.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06The expenditure of the company directors was based on
0:20:06 > 0:20:11a lavish lifestyle and boozy nights out, flash cars, holidays,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Rolexes, champagne, the works.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20Lesley was one of those cruelly deceived by the men.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27From the first time that I spoke to PC Pete Thody,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30I felt as though someone was looking after me.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33He didn't promise the world,
0:20:33 > 0:20:39but he said that it was a case that was being pursued.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Although Bordeaux Wine Trading Company Ltd
0:20:41 > 0:20:44had closed their main offices trying to cover their tracks,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Peter sniffed out three other places they were renting.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51The police raided these premises, seizing documents for evidence.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54They also searched the homes of the company directors
0:20:54 > 0:20:56and brought them in for questioning.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59One of them was Oseghale Hayble - known as Ose -
0:20:59 > 0:21:02the guy who talked Lesley out of his money.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08After questioning suspects and examining the paperwork,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Peter identified Ose and another company director,
0:21:11 > 0:21:16Paul Craven, as the main men behind the Bordeaux Wine Trading Company.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20He also discovered the idea for the scam was dreamt up
0:21:20 > 0:21:24when Ose and Craven were working together at a legitimate wine firm.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29The management of the initial company
0:21:29 > 0:21:35they were all employed at led a very luxurious lifestyle, and I believe
0:21:35 > 0:21:41that the suspects in this case yearned for this kind of lifestyle.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44So Paul and Ose left to set up their own company.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48They had the knowledge and contacts, and as Peter looked into the methods
0:21:48 > 0:21:52of Bordeaux Wine Trading Company Ltd, it was easy to see
0:21:52 > 0:21:55how they'd conned investors such as Lesley into funding them.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00The company...the first contact seemed legitimate,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03the paperwork seemed fine.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05There was a brochure detailing the company,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07and their role in the market.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12All very nice. Puts the investor at ease with the company.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15And clients got further reassurance
0:22:15 > 0:22:20when they were sent ownership certificates - bogus, of course.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23As Peter built up his case and stuck the corkscrew
0:22:23 > 0:22:25into Bordeaux Wine Trading Company Ltd,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29he found other criminal enterprises came crawling out of the woodwork.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31I believed, at that time,
0:22:31 > 0:22:36it was one wine company with three suspects at the time.
0:22:37 > 0:22:43Um, I didn't think it would lead on to another two scams.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Yes, he found links to two other dodgy wine companies.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49This was a huge scam network.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52At first the investigation was focused on the three main men
0:22:52 > 0:22:54behind Bordeaux Wine Trading Company.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Paul Craven, a director who was later cleared of any wrongdoing,
0:22:58 > 0:22:59and Oseghale Hayble.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02These people were all arrested
0:23:02 > 0:23:05in relation to Bordeaux Wine Trading Company,
0:23:05 > 0:23:06but prior to their arrest,
0:23:06 > 0:23:12Oseghale Hayble set up International Wine Commodities,
0:23:12 > 0:23:17along with Benedict Moruthoane.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20International Wine Commodities operated
0:23:20 > 0:23:24in exactly the same manner as Bordeaux Wine Trading Company.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Which is to say they again used clever sales techniques
0:23:27 > 0:23:31to fool investors into sending cash. They bought no wine,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34and instead spend the proceeds going out on the razzle.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Benedict Moruthoane was arrested and Ose rearrested for the goings-on
0:23:38 > 0:23:42at International Wine Commodities, and the company shut down.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47Whilst they were on bail for those matters, Benedict Moruthoane
0:23:47 > 0:23:54then went to set up Templar Vintners Ltd, under a false name - Dominic.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59We caught that company fairly early on, and managed to close it down.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03When the dust had finally settled, Peter worked out
0:24:03 > 0:24:06just how much the trio of dodgy wine companies
0:24:06 > 0:24:08had conned out of people.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13Templar Vinters Ltd - five victims lost £50,000 between them.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15International Wine Commodities Ltd -
0:24:15 > 0:24:1840 investors done for £800,000.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21And the scam company that started it all,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24the Bordeaux Wine Trading Company Ltd,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27had taken 50 victims for well over £1 million -
0:24:27 > 0:24:2915,000 of it Lesley's money.
0:24:31 > 0:24:37I was very embarrassed by the fact that I had been scammed.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Um, it's something quite...
0:24:41 > 0:24:46You don't really want to share that information with too many people.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48So, a case of three fake companies,
0:24:48 > 0:24:53scores of victims and millions stolen eventually ended up in court.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57And, after two trials, the three main men were found guilty.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Oseghale Hayble, jailed for five years.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Paul Craven, jailed for six years.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08And Benedict Moruthoane, the man who had the audacity to set up
0:25:08 > 0:25:12another fake wine firm while on bail, banged up for 7.5 years.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15I'm very happy with the conclusion of this case.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19I think the sentences would send out severe warnings to anyone else
0:25:19 > 0:25:23that's considering getting involved in such a scam.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26To protect yourself from the advances of the scammer,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28you can find out more information at -
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Before we go, there's just time to tell you
0:25:37 > 0:25:40about some of the latest scams out there.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Today we're looking at an employment con,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45where scammers offer you a job and then ask YOU to pay for it.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56Scams that target the unemployed are particularly cruel.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Yes, home-working schemes are a problem.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03People that go for home-working schemes can't fit in
0:26:03 > 0:26:06with ordinary work hours, or need to be working at home
0:26:06 > 0:26:08because they've got someone they are looking after.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10What would we see in the beginning of the scam?
0:26:10 > 0:26:12They would be offering you a job,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15and that's what you think you're buying into.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20- So you pay an upfront fee to be allowed to work.- Yes.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24- I have a horrible feeling about what comes next.- There is no work.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26So, what should I be looking out for to avoid these?
0:26:26 > 0:26:28The key is the upfront fee.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31There's no other sort of employment where you have to pay
0:26:31 > 0:26:33in order to work,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37and it's always worth trying to research anything that you see,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41and check on things like Action Fraud's website to see
0:26:41 > 0:26:42if this is a known scam.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46So if someone asks you to pay upfront for the privilege
0:26:46 > 0:26:49of doing a job, don't do it.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51The reason we work is to earn our bread and butter.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55And you should be working for pay, not paying to work.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Fraudsters will for ever be coming up with new ways to get you
0:27:00 > 0:27:03to part with your cash, but armed with a little bit of knowledge,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05you could be one step ahead of them.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Stay safe. I'll see you next time.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd