0:00:02 > 0:00:05Millions of us are targeted in scams every year and whether it comes in
0:00:05 > 0:00:09the form of an e-mail, a cold call or a knock at the door,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11they are all designed to do one thing -
0:00:11 > 0:00:14to get you to part with your cash.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37Coming up, the con artist who targeted grieving pet owners.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42I don't know how she can live with herself anyway, no.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47And the eco-friendly fuel scam that conned investors out of £8 million.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51All of this was simply lies.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55I'm here to tell you what the con man doesn't want you to know.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58How to stay one step ahead of the game and not get scammed.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06We are a nation of pet lovers.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11For many of us our animals are like family members
0:01:11 > 0:01:14so it's devastating when we lose them.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Unbelievably there's a scam that takes advantage of this.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22A scam that callously preyed on the emotions of grieving pet owners
0:01:22 > 0:01:24and took advantage of their vulnerable state.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28This kind of fraud is particularly evil
0:01:28 > 0:01:32because it catches people at a very dark time in their lives.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Whether we lose a loved one, or in this case a pet,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39people often make decisions based on emotions.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Almost every scam involves money.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46But some really aren't about the money.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49As the woman I'm about to meet has found out.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Jane Diggle from Nottinghamshire was the loving owner
0:01:54 > 0:01:57of German shepherd, collie cross, Molly, for 12 years.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00When Molly passed away it seemed only fitting
0:02:00 > 0:02:03that her companion received a dignified send off.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12- Hello, you must be Jane. - I am.- Nice to meet you, I'm Matt.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Shall I come in? Thank you.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Tell me a bit about Molly.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18She was lovely. We had her from a pup.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20We all loved her to pieces.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24She was the sort of dog, if we'd have had burglars,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27she would have made them a cup of tea.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Sadly, in her later years, Molly developed diabetes
0:02:30 > 0:02:33and after doing everything they possibly could,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35the vet gave Jane the heartbreaking news
0:02:35 > 0:02:37that nothing more could be done.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41The agonising decision was made to have Molly put to sleep.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43The vet gave her the needle,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and was stroking her and talking to her and everything.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50And then she says, "She's gone."
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Oh well, that was it. Crying again.
0:02:52 > 0:02:58It was weeks and weeks, couldn't talk about her. I kept crying.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Get up in the morning, no Molly. Go to bed at night, no Molly.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04It was horrible.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06It must be a tremendous mix of emotions
0:03:06 > 0:03:08when you have to make that decision.
0:03:08 > 0:03:09You don't really want to,
0:03:09 > 0:03:14but you get a selfish attitude where you still want to hang on.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17And I thought, "Well, it's not fair.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21"However much I want you back, Molly, we can't, can we?"
0:03:21 > 0:03:24And of course we had to do it, didn't we?
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Wanting a proper send off for Molly, Jane started
0:03:31 > 0:03:35ringing around local companies that offered funeral services for pets.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42I wanted her cremated so that I'd still got part of Molly.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46I rang one place and it was over £200.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50I said, "Can I have a word with my husband and let you know?"
0:03:50 > 0:03:55Unable to afford the fee, Jane came across Peak Pet Cremations
0:03:55 > 0:03:59offering the same service, but at a cut price rate of £70.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Oh, I said, "That's cheap.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05"I've just rang one up and it's over £200."
0:04:05 > 0:04:10I said, "How come you can do it cheaper than they can?"
0:04:11 > 0:04:15They said, "They take advantage of your grief,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19"that's why they charge as much as that."
0:04:19 > 0:04:23So she said the other pet crematoriums were taking advantage
0:04:23 > 0:04:27of people and that's why their prices were high?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30- Because they felt they could charge anything.- And people would pay it.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32- Because they were emotionally... - Upset.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37- Did that sound plausible to you? - Yeah. It did.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40The role of trust in the relationship
0:04:40 > 0:04:43between victim and scammer is key.
0:04:43 > 0:04:48So I think there's a magic triangle of credibility,
0:04:48 > 0:04:53trust or rapport and vulnerability.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Bring those three things together
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and we have the perfect ingredient for a scam.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01When you were speaking to her, how did she come across?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Lovely, really caring, thoughtful.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07And that's how I thought she was, yeah.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10You know, she'd look after Molly, and,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14"Don't you worry about a thing, we'll do it all for you.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18"We'll pick Molly up from the vet's and we'll take care of her,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22"and we will look after her and we'll bring her back to you."
0:05:22 > 0:05:24The lady on the phone was Emma Bent,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27owner of Peak Pet Cremations.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Reassured by her kind and sensitive manner, Jane decided
0:05:30 > 0:05:33she was the right person to handle Molly's cremation
0:05:33 > 0:05:37and give her beloved pet the respectful ending she deserved.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43The fact they will make a big play about a dignified ending
0:05:43 > 0:05:47for the animal reassures the consumer
0:05:47 > 0:05:50because you emotionally link the transaction to something
0:05:50 > 0:05:53that's an important part of your life.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58I think she deserved it because she was such a lovely dog.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Bent collected Molly from the vet and a few days later rang Jane
0:06:02 > 0:06:04to tell her it was all done
0:06:04 > 0:06:08and that she'd be bringing Molly's ashes home in person.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12She'd fetch Molly. She said, "Lovely dog.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16"And her eyes were open." I said thank you.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19I was really grateful and crying and everything.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25When they brought Molly I said, "It is Molly, in't it?"
0:06:25 > 0:06:26And they said, "Yes, it is.
0:06:26 > 0:06:32"It's Molly." And I hugged her, thanked her ever so much, in tears.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37I gave her the £70, what she was charging.
0:06:37 > 0:06:43Plus a £5 tip, plus a thank you card.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49And I got a certificate to say that Molly had been individually cremated.
0:06:49 > 0:06:55I got a box and inside was a plastic bag with Molly's ashes in.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Jane and her husband John then buried Molly's ashes in the garden,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05finding comfort in the fact that a part of their adored pet was still nearby.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13It wasn't until two years later that Jane got her first indication
0:07:13 > 0:07:16that things weren't quite as they seemed.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Whilst reading her local newspaper, she spotted an article
0:07:20 > 0:07:23that set alarm bells ringing.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26I was reading the paper and came across this little
0:07:26 > 0:07:28article about Pet Crem.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30What was the article saying?
0:07:30 > 0:07:33There was a gentleman walking his dog in a field
0:07:33 > 0:07:37and he found a dog that was decomposing.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42The dog was microchipped so they traced it back to the owner
0:07:42 > 0:07:45who thought her dog had been cremated.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50So I rang the Derby paper, asked about it
0:07:50 > 0:07:54and they gave me a number to ring.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59They told me more information. And that's where it kicked off.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04It particularly works as a scam because you don't necessarily
0:08:04 > 0:08:09get to find out that the business wasn't all it's cracked up to be instantly.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12It sometimes, as in this case, takes a year or maybe more
0:08:12 > 0:08:15before you realise the true extent of what has happened.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18For two years Jane had believed that it was Molly's ashes
0:08:18 > 0:08:20that were buried in the garden.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Now that was being thrown into doubt.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28When was the first time you suspected
0:08:28 > 0:08:32these might not be Molly's remains?
0:08:32 > 0:08:36When I read it and I thought, "Oh my God."
0:08:36 > 0:08:39But I didn't want to think, "where's our poor Molly been left?"
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Cos that would have drove me mad.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46The thought that Emma Bent who had seemed so caring
0:08:46 > 0:08:51and so sensitive was actually a con artist was too hard to bear.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53But as Jane thought back to how much cheaper
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Bent's cremation service had been, the awful truth began to sink in.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02I thought, "It's got to be her."
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Jane had to know what really happened
0:09:06 > 0:09:09so rang another pet crematorium for advice.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13They told her to bring in Molly's ashes so Jane did just that.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16When they examined them, her very worst fears were confirmed.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27- So he showed you real animal remains?- Yeah. A dog.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28- A dog that had been cremated?- Yeah.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33- And then compared with what you had thinking it was Molly?- Yeah.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37- And they were completely different? - My goodness, yeah.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39You couldn't mistake it.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44It was like little grey-white pebbles and Molly's was big,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46well, like bonfire rubbish.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Not one of the thousands of dogs, cats,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53guinea pigs and other pets that had been entrusted to Emma Bent
0:09:53 > 0:09:57had been given the individual cremation she'd promised their grieving owners.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02Instead the animals had been disposed of like rubbish, burned in a field
0:10:02 > 0:10:07or just left to rot and the owners given a jar full of bonfire ash.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Scammers like this will get lazy,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12and they won't dispose of the evidence properly.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14In this case, the poor animals,
0:10:14 > 0:10:19which were discarded in a very undignified manner,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and of course, when laziness creeps in, so does contempt,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26and it's only a matter of time before the evidence is found
0:10:26 > 0:10:28and these people are brought to some kind of justice.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30You are angry with her, but you must have been thinking,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- what on earth happened to Molly? - Mmm.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36And I thought, she's left her in a field somewhere, hasn't she?
0:10:36 > 0:10:39She's done that, and I thought Molly deserved better than that.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Cos as I say, Molly suffered enough with diabetes.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45She didn't need that as well.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50I can't understand how anybody can be that heartless.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53But it's this that she wanted, isn't it?
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Money, that's all she was bothered about.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58She wasn't bothered about anything else.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04This fraud was so effective for a number of reasons.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08First of all, it had a physical presence,
0:11:08 > 0:11:08on the High Street,
0:11:08 > 0:11:14it had links with a third party, which gave it credibility,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17its pricing model was lower than its competitors,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20but not so low that you become suspicious.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22You put all of these factors together,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26and you've got the making of something that has the potential
0:11:26 > 0:11:29to extract a lot of money from a lot of consumers.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33And extract a lot of money from consumers
0:11:33 > 0:11:35is exactly what Emma Bent did.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40Peak Pet Cremations was paid to cremate over 3000 pets and took
0:11:40 > 0:11:44nearly £90,000 from distraught pet owners.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49In 2012, Emma Bent was sentenced to eight months in prison for her crime
0:11:49 > 0:11:53after pleading guilty to seven counts of fraud and 16 charges
0:11:53 > 0:11:56in relation to operating an unapproved incinerator
0:11:56 > 0:11:58and illegal disposal of animals.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06It was awful, to think that anybody could do that anyway.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09I mean, if you found a dog, you wouldn't leave it to rot,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12you'd phone somewhere, wouldn't you and have it took away.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Nobody puts a dog outside to rot, I don't care who you are.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21And I don't know how she can live with herself anyway. No.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24The very fact that this business is set up as a fraudulent way
0:12:24 > 0:12:28of getting money off people, from the very beginning when they see
0:12:28 > 0:12:32their first customer, to the very end when they're found out,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35it's a question of that's what they set out to do. This is a facade
0:12:35 > 0:12:38of a business, it sets out to deceive people.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42There'll be very little emotional sympathy with the victim whatsoever.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Do you think you could have done more
0:12:47 > 0:12:52to stop it happening at some stage?
0:12:52 > 0:12:54No, because I didn't realise, did I?
0:12:54 > 0:12:57I thought she was genuine. If I'd had doubts in me mind,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00where would I have gone to check?
0:13:01 > 0:13:07I think it's shocking, the way that Molly and all the other animals
0:13:07 > 0:13:11were treated in this scam. It's got nothing to do with money at all.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15It's about a basic understanding of people's emotions,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19how close they are to their animals.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20I'm so sorry it's happened to you.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- I am too.- I think it's a terrible thing.- Yeah.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28For thousands of animals in this scam and their owners, it's a
0:13:28 > 0:13:33- real tragedy.- It is. It should never have happened.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Unfortunately, Jane and thousands of other grieving pet owners
0:13:39 > 0:13:42suffered as a consequence of Emma Bent's callous scam,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46but there are ways to check whether a company is legitimate.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49To prevent this happening to you, here are some words of advice.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53First of all, check out that the business you are about to send your
0:13:53 > 0:13:57pet to is licensed by a local authority. It has to be licensed
0:13:57 > 0:14:01in order to carry out cremations of animals. Look online for any reviews
0:14:01 > 0:14:04about this business and ask other people in the town, have you used
0:14:04 > 0:14:07this business before? If so, what do you think?
0:14:07 > 0:14:10For more advice on this and other scams, just log on to...
0:14:22 > 0:14:26Filling your tank can be a fairly pricy affair these days,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29so, if somebody told you about an environmentally friendly fuel
0:14:29 > 0:14:33that would make your richer, rather than poorer,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35you'd be interested, right?
0:14:35 > 0:14:39Well, that's exactly what was sold to over 900 British people
0:14:39 > 0:14:43who bought shares in a firm called Worldwide Bio Refineries plc.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46They were told the company made planet friendly fuel
0:14:46 > 0:14:51called biodiesel and was set to rocket in value. But all was not as
0:14:51 > 0:14:58it seemed and in 2005 the Serious Fraud Office began investigating.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01They target UK investors,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04often elderly, often vulnerable.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07The effect can be devastating for the individuals concerned.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11The sums involved can be quite great
0:15:11 > 0:15:14in terms of life savings,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16in terms of pensions.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21And it would soon emerge that the men behind Worldwide Bio Refineries
0:15:21 > 0:15:25had taken a whopping eight million pounds from ordinary British people.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29They can be very sophisticated in their techniques and they can
0:15:29 > 0:15:32take in very...relatively sophisticated investors.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36One of those investors was retired engineer, Robert,
0:15:36 > 0:15:41and he was no novice when it came to dabbling in stocks and shares.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46I started investing in the stock market round about 1959.
0:15:46 > 0:15:52On and off, I'd been looking after stocks and shares until now.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56As an experienced investor in legitimate companies,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Robert's phone number became available to the scam artists
0:16:00 > 0:16:03who were looking for new investment in what were actually,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05bogus companies.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10I got on a list of people, brokers and so on,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13who call one up and ask you to invest
0:16:13 > 0:16:17in brilliant sort of new schemes.
0:16:17 > 0:16:23It was to do with bio fuels and I had taken a certain interest in that.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27The man on the phone claimed to be a broker and initially he offered
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Robert shares in a company that claimed to be producing alternative
0:16:31 > 0:16:33fuels to petrol and diesel.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37I thought I might make a small investment
0:16:37 > 0:16:40which was making biofuels
0:16:40 > 0:16:44and equipment for manufacturing biofuels.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47But the so-called broker was, in fact, a conman,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51working in what's known as a boiler room.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53They operate illegally selling shares.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58Generally operates from overseas, call UK investors and will use
0:16:58 > 0:17:04hard sell, high pressure techniques to sell shares to these investors.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09And the shares that boiler rooms sell are either worthless
0:17:09 > 0:17:12or non-existent. But Robert believed he was dealing with
0:17:12 > 0:17:17a bona fide broker and he decided to buy £2500 worth of shares
0:17:17 > 0:17:21in the company. Sensing there was more where that came from,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24the broker stayed in touch and three months later,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Robert parted with a further £2500.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35I tried to buy some more shares. Then I got a call saying
0:17:35 > 0:17:39unfortunately my share certificate...they couldn't send it,
0:17:39 > 0:17:44because the company had been taken over by an Arab sheikh
0:17:44 > 0:17:49and it was going to be called Worldwide Bio Refineries
0:17:49 > 0:17:52and there might be shares available in that company.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57It sounded innocent enough, but the truth was rather different.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01The first bio fuel company had disappeared for a reason.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05The monies which it had raised through using boiler rooms
0:18:05 > 0:18:07was frozen by its bank.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10The bank had become suspicious.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Monies were going out to these off shore accounts.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19So in September 2005, worried that the authorities were investigating
0:18:19 > 0:18:22the first company and in order to release the funds
0:18:22 > 0:18:26from the frozen account, the conmen used the dormant company
0:18:26 > 0:18:31called Worldwide Bio Refineries to take over the first bogus company.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33They then managed to convince their investors
0:18:33 > 0:18:35this was all part of the firm's expansion.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40It sounded quite positive
0:18:40 > 0:18:46and it made me feel that I did want to invest in WBR.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50And to investors like Robert, Worldwide Bio Refineries
0:18:50 > 0:18:53was presented as a major international company.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57They completed the Singapore plant, so they said
0:18:57 > 0:19:04and uh...they were doing business with Indonesia,
0:19:04 > 0:19:11and India and Sri Lanka
0:19:11 > 0:19:13and Nigeria.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17All this looked very positive to a potential investor.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Robert was impressed
0:19:19 > 0:19:23and decided to invest in a further £2500 worth of shares.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27They were doing things I expected a company like that would do.
0:19:27 > 0:19:33By this stage, Robert had purchased £9000 worth of shares in what he
0:19:33 > 0:19:38been told was a successful global company. But the SFO had been
0:19:38 > 0:19:43alerted to WBR's activities and begun a major fraud investigation.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48As they trawled through records, WBR was soon exposed as a sham.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Worldwide Bio Refineries made claims that it was going to produce
0:19:54 > 0:19:59the largest biodiesel plant in the world in Singapore,
0:19:59 > 0:20:05producing 350,000 metric tons of bio diesel annually.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08All of this was simply lies -
0:20:08 > 0:20:10lies told to the investors
0:20:10 > 0:20:13so they would invest their monies into the company.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18Far from being a major global player, Worldwide Bio Refineries
0:20:18 > 0:20:20was little more than a front.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Its company accounts
0:20:22 > 0:20:29demonstrate that 99% of its income comes from investors monies
0:20:29 > 0:20:33and only 1% came from trade.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37And those investors had been well and truly scammed.
0:20:37 > 0:20:43The value of the shares was negligible, if anything.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46The shares couldn't be sold.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49The reality was the shares were worthless.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54The main men behind the scam were Dennis Potter and Redmond Johnson
0:20:54 > 0:20:58known as Ray. They had set up Worldwide Bio Refineries
0:20:58 > 0:21:02and used boiler rooms in Spain to sell the shares.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05There was then a prolific period
0:21:05 > 0:21:11in which the boiler rooms in question hit UK investors
0:21:11 > 0:21:13and sold shares in WBR.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16During that period between 2005 and 2007,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20some £8 million was raised through investors.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25And this staggering amount of money was split nearly evenly between the
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Spanish boiler rooms and WBR. Potter and Johnson
0:21:29 > 0:21:33used their ill-gotten gains to fund a jet-set lifestyle.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39Mostly it was used by the company directors so they could fulfil
0:21:39 > 0:21:41their dream of living the lifestyle
0:21:41 > 0:21:44of a successful international businessman.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48They spent a lot of time travelling the world, meeting people,
0:21:48 > 0:21:53never getting beyond the agreement stage, staying in nice hotels,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55playing the role.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59But Johnson, Potter and the boiler room operators were now firmly
0:21:59 > 0:22:01on the SFO's radar.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05The tactic was to initially target the company directors
0:22:05 > 0:22:07and then the boiler room operators.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Johnson and Potter were charged in 2009 and it wasn't long before the
0:22:11 > 0:22:16boiler room scammers in Spain began to feel the heat as well.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Those individuals were charged in the summer of 2010 and it was at
0:22:21 > 0:22:24that point they were joined with Potter and Johnson who had been
0:22:24 > 0:22:28charged earlier to become a seven-handed conspiracy.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33But to guarantee a conviction, the SFO needed as much evidence as
0:22:33 > 0:22:36possible and investor Robert was about to offer
0:22:36 > 0:22:38something very valuable.
0:22:38 > 0:22:44I had already told them I had recordings of conversations I had
0:22:44 > 0:22:47with brokers and one particular with Ray Johnson.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51I was quite prepared to let them have those so they could assess them for
0:22:51 > 0:22:57themselves and subsequently,
0:22:57 > 0:23:02uh, they, um, asked me to be a witness in the case.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07Robert had recorded his phone calls with the company as a precaution
0:23:07 > 0:23:11and it was now vital evidence documenting the lies that had been
0:23:11 > 0:23:14told by the boiler rooms and company boss, Ray Johnson.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19'To July last year, we turned over about 3.8 million and we made
0:23:19 > 0:23:22'just over £200,000 profit.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24'It sets us out from the rest of the bio diesel companies.
0:23:24 > 0:23:25'We're making money.'
0:23:30 > 0:23:35The SFO now had all the evidence they needed and in September 2011,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Potter, Johnson and four others were tried and found guilty
0:23:39 > 0:23:45for conspiring to defraud. Potter was sentenced to seven years,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Johnson to three years, as he pleaded guilty
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and assisted the prosecution.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Ray Johnson has passed away since the court case.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57Their boiler room co-conspirators also received a total
0:23:57 > 0:24:01of 29 and a half years between them. It was testament to the hard work
0:24:01 > 0:24:05of the SFO and Norfolk and Suffolk Police.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09They were of great assistance
0:24:09 > 0:24:14in taking witness statements from investors. They were involved fully
0:24:14 > 0:24:18throughout the searches, arrests and interviews as well.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Investor Robert is pleased that justice has been done,
0:24:22 > 0:24:27but losing a total of £12,500 of his valuable savings has taught him
0:24:27 > 0:24:31a harsh lesson in buying from cold-calling brokers.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35I would strongly recommend to anybody - don't touch it with a bargepole
0:24:35 > 0:24:37unless you know far more about it than I do.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41I don't think I'm ever going to invest in anything like that again.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43And to help you steer clear of the scammers,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46here are the Serious Fraud Office's top tips
0:24:46 > 0:24:48to avoid boiler room scams.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53Ask yourself the question - have you requested the financial advice
0:24:53 > 0:24:59which you're being given and if not, don't accept that advice.
0:24:59 > 0:25:05Ask for the details of the individual who's contacting you.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07If in doubt, put the phone down.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11If you would like any more advice about scams and how best to avoid
0:25:11 > 0:25:15them, then go to...
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Before we go, there's just time to tell you about some of the latest
0:25:26 > 0:25:30scams out there. Today we're looking at a con
0:25:30 > 0:25:34where scammers are masquerading as charities, tricking the generous
0:25:34 > 0:25:37British public into handing over second-hand clothes.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45People that use charities to carry out scams must be classed
0:25:45 > 0:25:47as amongst the lowest of the low.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52Well, we're getting an increase in calls around charity collection scams
0:25:52 > 0:25:55and basically, organisations are
0:25:55 > 0:25:58using real charity names to get people to give donations through
0:25:58 > 0:26:01bags they leave outside their house.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05What I can't understand is what they could possibly have to gain
0:26:05 > 0:26:06from my old socks.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10These donations are actually going overseas and being sold
0:26:10 > 0:26:11for 100% profit.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15They take it as far as to the developing world and Africa
0:26:15 > 0:26:18- to sell these goods.- We don't want to put people off from donating.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22If they want to do it legitimately, what would you say?
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Simply call the charity on the flyer that's come through your door
0:26:26 > 0:26:29and ask them if they are doing a donation in your area
0:26:29 > 0:26:32because that usually clears up whether it's genuine or a scam.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Another thing to look out for is the quality of the leaflet
0:26:35 > 0:26:39coming through you letter box. Is the printing bad quality?
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Are there spelling mistakes? Why?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Because your average scammer has very bad grammar!
0:26:45 > 0:26:50Fraudsters will forever be coming up with new ways to get you to part
0:26:50 > 0:26:53with your cash, but armed with a little knowledge,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55you can be one step ahead of them.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Stay safe and I'll see you next time.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd