0:00:00 > 0:00:01The MP, Charlie Elphicke, denies any wrongdoing.
0:00:01 > 0:00:10Now on BBC News, it's Inside Out
0:00:10 > 0:00:19We are going in search of investors who will ask money is.I did trust
0:00:19 > 0:00:27that company.This is no different to hand in your life savings over to
0:00:27 > 0:00:31a man in the pub and hoping that he will give it back to you again one
0:00:31 > 0:00:36day.Leave the camera.Also coming up, the online love rats breaking
0:00:36 > 0:00:41hearts and busting bank accounts. It's like a part of the world
0:00:41 > 0:00:46disappears and I also felt quite ashamed that I could have been so
0:00:46 > 0:00:50silly.And learning the ropes. My attempt to become the UK tree
0:00:50 > 0:00:55climbing champion.Pressure. Seven minutes remaining.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10First, they've been left thousands of pounds out of pocket with no idea
0:01:10 > 0:01:14where that money has gone. Investors in a property scheme have told us
0:01:14 > 0:01:19they want some serious answers, so did their top tip turn into a non-
0:01:19 > 0:01:20runner?
0:01:24 > 0:01:31A flutter on the horses can be tempting. Especially when Matt
0:01:31 > 0:01:38Schaub bet is looking you right in the eye -- that sure bet. And my
0:01:38 > 0:01:42course racing, financial investments also need a bit of luck if they are
0:01:42 > 0:01:54to pay out.Come on!But if that investment pitfalls that the first
0:01:54 > 0:02:01hurdle, you might find you backed the wrong horse. That's exactly what
0:02:01 > 0:02:09happened to Steve Perry from Ringwood. He was investing for his
0:02:09 > 0:02:13future and the current low interest rate offered by banks weren't very
0:02:13 > 0:02:20tempting.I am virtually retired now and I had some I wanted to put away
0:02:20 > 0:02:25and some income. I had two kids at school. They would be going to
0:02:25 > 0:02:32university before I know it and that's expensive.Eager to start
0:02:32 > 0:02:38investing, Stephen found a broker online.They claimed they did all
0:02:38 > 0:02:44the due diligence and only offered reliable products, so I trusted
0:02:44 > 0:02:52them.The broker introduced him to Forbes capital. It was offering a
0:02:52 > 0:02:57secure two-year investment in social housing scheme based in Chicago. It
0:02:57 > 0:03:05was promising high returns. So Stephen invested £70,000. Records
0:03:05 > 0:03:14we've seen show investors have paid £440,000 to Forbes Capital. This
0:03:14 > 0:03:19man, Tony, and his fiancee invested £5,000 to help pay for their
0:03:19 > 0:03:23wedding. The date they haven't received a penny. Others invested
0:03:23 > 0:03:32lump sums from their pensions. Be 64-year-old was in NHS nurse for
0:03:32 > 0:03:36many years and has recently retired. He did into his pension pot to
0:03:36 > 0:03:44invest with Forbes Capital.I invested £40,000 and that investment
0:03:44 > 0:03:52was for two years.Forbes Capital promised to return all of this
0:03:52 > 0:03:58investment at the end and pay him for 100 pounds every month.Even I
0:03:58 > 0:04:04had a payment schedule from the managing director to tell me how
0:04:04 > 0:04:08much I was going to get. At the time I thought it was a good return.
0:04:08 > 0:04:15That's the main reason I invested. And it was a regular income, monthly
0:04:15 > 0:04:19income, because since I retired I was getting less money every month.
0:04:19 > 0:04:29So to make it up at the main reason I invested in Forbes Capital.He
0:04:29 > 0:04:35only received for interest payments and then they dried up. He contacted
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Forbes Capital to ask where his money was but they didn't return his
0:04:39 > 0:04:43calls or respond to his e-mails. After a lifetime of helping others,
0:04:43 > 0:04:48he hoped this investment would help him and his family financially.An
0:04:48 > 0:04:52extremely worried about the capital of £40,000. I've worked hard for
0:04:52 > 0:04:59that.So who is behind the company? The main shareholder of Forbes
0:04:59 > 0:05:06Capital is this man, Peter Shuttleworth. He previously was a
0:05:06 > 0:05:09director for colonial capital, which offered an almost identical
0:05:09 > 0:05:15investment opportunity. That firm went under, owing millions. Forbes
0:05:15 > 0:05:20Capital is unregulated and for investors that can mean risky
0:05:20 > 0:05:28business.If you are dealing with an unregulated broker this is no
0:05:28 > 0:05:32different to handing your life savings over to a man in the pub and
0:05:32 > 0:05:36hoping that he will give it back to you one day.With 30 years
0:05:36 > 0:05:40experience in the financial services, Tom specialises in
0:05:40 > 0:05:45retirement planning and investments. You've looked at the detail of the
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Forbes Capital investment offer. What do you think of it?The two
0:05:49 > 0:05:54things that really worried me were first of all multiple layers of
0:05:54 > 0:05:56uncertainty around the Chicago property market, the US government,
0:05:56 > 0:06:01it being an overseas investment. At more than anything the fact that it
0:06:01 > 0:06:05is an regulated investment scheme, so the UK regulator, the financial
0:06:05 > 0:06:09con the authority, has no control over it. It also means if anything
0:06:09 > 0:06:16goes wrong you have no comeback.And investment broker template invest
0:06:16 > 0:06:19based in Spain acted as a middleman between investors and Forbes
0:06:19 > 0:06:25Capital. But even when investors started reporting that they hadn't
0:06:25 > 0:06:30received their monthly payments from Forbes Capital, the company in Spain
0:06:30 > 0:06:37continued to sign people up to the scheme. Templer invest is currently
0:06:37 > 0:06:40being investigated by the Financial Conduct Authority. It says it has
0:06:40 > 0:06:47ceased training and it too was misled by Forbes Capital. But that
0:06:47 > 0:06:51is of little comfort to Stephen, when the company he invested in
0:06:51 > 0:06:55isn't paying out what they promised. Since you invested the money in
0:06:55 > 0:07:01Forbes Capital, had any contact from them? No. The only contact I had was
0:07:01 > 0:07:04the bond certificate and the covering letter that came in the
0:07:04 > 0:07:08post back in April.Since that time I send e-mails, left phone messages
0:07:08 > 0:07:16and nothing.When you realised that perhaps the assessment hadn't worked
0:07:16 > 0:07:20out, how do you feel? £70,000 is the huge amount of money.Well,
0:07:20 > 0:07:28obviously I was upset. And I tried everything, I contacted the
0:07:28 > 0:07:35Financial Conduct Authority, the financial ombudsman, the serious
0:07:35 > 0:07:39fraud office, my MP. I just wanted answers as to what happened to this
0:07:39 > 0:07:44money.Argue resigned to the fact that you may not see that money
0:07:44 > 0:07:48again?Virtually. I think I've had to admit that probably or
0:07:48 > 0:07:54possibility. Otherwise, I wouldn't sleep at night, I would spend all my
0:07:54 > 0:08:00days worrying about it.After weeks of searching, we finally found Mr
0:08:00 > 0:08:07Shuttleworth hears, this caravan park, in Essex. Time to get some
0:08:07 > 0:08:15answers. Halo, Peter Shuttleworth. Can we have a chat? No.We've come
0:08:15 > 0:08:21to ask where the investors' money is.Could you leave before I phoned
0:08:21 > 0:08:28the police?Peter, where is the investors' money? Leave the camera.
0:08:28 > 0:08:35You've taken tens of thousands of pounds. Peter Shuttleworth, you owed
0:08:35 > 0:08:40at least an explanation, don't you? £70,000 from Vista Perry, not a
0:08:40 > 0:08:45penny payback. You can't even be bothered to talk to them. Why not?
0:08:45 > 0:08:53It really like to hear your side of things. Anything at all? Tens of
0:08:53 > 0:08:58thousands of pounds of investors' money and you can't even be bothered
0:08:58 > 0:09:06to talk to them. Nothing to say? Last chance. You are quite a hard
0:09:06 > 0:09:11man to track down. And you are very hard man to talk to.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23Well, clearly Peter Shuttleworth doesn't want to talk to us today.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28Tens of thousands of pounds of investors' money, investors have
0:09:28 > 0:09:31asked them what happened to their money, we've asked what happened to
0:09:31 > 0:09:38their money and he's got nothing to say. Now, a bit of an update for you
0:09:38 > 0:09:42on that story. Since we confronted Mr Shuttleworth he sent us an e-mail
0:09:42 > 0:09:46stating that all investors would receive a full refund by the end of
0:09:46 > 0:09:52November. We will keep you posted. Still to come... I quickly regret
0:09:52 > 0:09:55trying to become the UK tree climbing champion.Seven minutes
0:09:55 > 0:09:57remaining.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07Next, online dating is more popular than ever, but would you believe it?
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Not everyone using their sites and apps is telling the truth.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24This woman lived alone for many years after her husband's death and
0:10:24 > 0:10:28decided to give love another try. After venturing online, she thought
0:10:28 > 0:10:33she had found it with a man called Peter.We were quite a good match
0:10:33 > 0:10:39because the website that we used did such profiling, so we came up as the
0:10:39 > 0:10:43same. We would chat for four hours a night on messenger, felt like this
0:10:43 > 0:10:47was someone I had a real connection with. It was that thing about
0:10:47 > 0:10:52feeling really connected. I had found love again.Her newfound love
0:10:52 > 0:10:56said he was a major in the British Army, stationed in Baghdad.One day
0:10:56 > 0:11:01he went out on patrol and I didn't hear from him the following morning
0:11:01 > 0:11:06and so I was really distressed. I didn't hear from him for 48 hours,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10which felt like a lifetime because it triggered all the memories of my
0:11:10 > 0:11:15husband's death and everything. Then he came back online to say he had
0:11:15 > 0:11:20lost a couple of men in battle and he wanted to get out of the Army.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25Peter said he wanted to start a new life with bowel but needed money to
0:11:25 > 0:11:33buy himself out of the Mira -- military.He told me where to send
0:11:33 > 0:11:38the money, so I sent it. Naturally that wasn't enough money. I ended up
0:11:38 > 0:11:44foolishly sending two more lots of money, totalling just over £8,500.
0:11:44 > 0:11:50This woman runs a dating agency in Brighton. She doesn't run an online
0:11:50 > 0:11:54service, but introduces people face-to-face. She also happens to be
0:11:54 > 0:11:58a former detective for Sussex Police.There are some victims that
0:11:58 > 0:12:04have lost up to 1.6 million, others that have lost £800,000. They are
0:12:04 > 0:12:08life changing amounts of money to lose. To some people 8000 could be a
0:12:08 > 0:12:13life changing amount of money. Some people are actually Bancroft because
0:12:13 > 0:12:17of the money they've given to some of these fraudsters -- bankrupt. The
0:12:17 > 0:12:22sad reality is they are not likely to ever get it back.Nearly 4000
0:12:22 > 0:12:27cases of romance fraud were reported to the authorities last year. In
0:12:27 > 0:12:32fact, this type of crime is now so widespread you can get fraud kits
0:12:32 > 0:12:35online that come complete with templated e-mail is to persuade
0:12:35 > 0:12:43people to part with their money. Dave has also been looking for love.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48He enjoys dancing and has always found it a great way to meet people.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57But after a spell of being single, Dave thought he had found his
0:12:57 > 0:13:01special someone online in Canada. The pair exchanged countless e-mails
0:13:01 > 0:13:09and phone calls.I miss you so much, Dave. You've become something
0:13:09 > 0:13:15necessary for my soul. I dream about the children we will have in the
0:13:15 > 0:13:22future. I love you.It's quite emotive language. How did you feel
0:13:22 > 0:13:32when you read that?I felt really excited and happy. And, you know, I
0:13:32 > 0:13:39thought my life was going to change for the good.Dave said his online
0:13:39 > 0:13:43lover £15,000 to help with medical expenses she said she had. And to
0:13:43 > 0:13:52pay for flights to the UK. Neal from Action Fraud is familiar with many
0:13:52 > 0:13:56of the common tricks fraudsters use. If you say that you have been
0:13:56 > 0:14:01divorced they will say they've been divorced. It's about looking for
0:14:01 > 0:14:07that attachment that they can then use in order to reel the victim in.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12His profile was that he was widowed and that he joined the army because
0:14:12 > 0:14:17of the grief and so we felt... It felt like we had an infant bond
0:14:17 > 0:14:20because we'd been through a similar grief experienced -- an instant
0:14:20 > 0:14:26bond.Having parted with more than £8,000, she heard nothing more from
0:14:26 > 0:14:35her online love.I did a search on internet and found the story of a
0:14:35 > 0:14:39lady in the United States and had been scammed by a person using the
0:14:39 > 0:14:43same story and the same picture. It's like a part of the world
0:14:43 > 0:14:47disappears and I also felt really quite ashamed that I could have been
0:14:47 > 0:14:53so silly. That's what I felt.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Dave was awaiting the arrival of this new love but then he got an
0:14:57 > 0:15:00e-mail saying she was visiting relatives in Ghana and was stuck in
0:15:00 > 0:15:05immigration. She needed yet more muggy. Dave showed the letter to
0:15:05 > 0:15:09this bank manager, who immediately is not a rat.It was only through
0:15:09 > 0:15:14the bank, who said that isn't genuine.How did you feel when you
0:15:14 > 0:15:18heard those words?I was Devon devastated. I couldn't believe it
0:15:18 > 0:15:25had happened.The fraudster had sent Dave these photos to encourage him
0:15:25 > 0:15:30to hand over the cash, but the police confirmed it was a con. The
0:15:30 > 0:15:35photos could have been stolen from a genuine dating profile, they told
0:15:35 > 0:15:41they've not to send any more muggy. Former detective Tara McDonald said
0:15:41 > 0:15:45there's things people can do to keep the online sharks at bay. The main
0:15:45 > 0:15:49one is to stay on the dating site, never move to private e-mails or
0:15:49 > 0:15:55private messaging.There are checks and balances in place an online
0:15:55 > 0:15:59dating sites where certain e-mails, if they're worded in a certain way,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03they will be pulled to one side and it will be checked. They may well
0:16:03 > 0:16:07remove that person if they believe them to be a scammer. Beware of
0:16:07 > 0:16:11someone who keeps asking you lots of questions about you and your
0:16:11 > 0:16:15background and you find you're not getting much back from them but
0:16:15 > 0:16:18you're giving a lot of information about yourself. You should never
0:16:18 > 0:16:22consider giving out money to anyone either you've never met and that you
0:16:22 > 0:16:28don't know.Fizz in during love of dancing is helping Dave get over his
0:16:28 > 0:16:34online experience -- his enduring Love.I go dancing, which helps
0:16:34 > 0:16:39Mirallas and focus on different things so my mind is not on it all
0:16:39 > 0:16:43the time.Val says she's learned from what's happened and she's no
0:16:43 > 0:16:47longer ashamed about telling her story.If it helps somebody else,
0:16:47 > 0:16:52anybody watching this, who's wondering maybe this is a scam,
0:16:52 > 0:16:57maybe it's not, to take a step back because if someone genuinely loves
0:16:57 > 0:17:00you are not going to put pressure on you to do something that doesn't
0:17:00 > 0:17:05feel right for you. Emma Thomas reporting there. Don't
0:17:05 > 0:17:09forget, you can find out more about the show on Twitter:
0:17:11 > 0:17:15Finally, when was the last time you climbed a tree crazy if you're
0:17:15 > 0:17:20anything like me, it's been a while. But when the UK national tree
0:17:20 > 0:17:26climbing Championships rolled into town, guess who got roped in? There
0:17:26 > 0:17:33was a time I'd spend more of the day up a tree than down it, but time has
0:17:33 > 0:17:39passed. A lot of time. If I'm to stand any chance in a tree climbing
0:17:39 > 0:17:44competition I need some serious help, and that's where Joe Hedger
0:17:44 > 0:17:50comes in. By a day Joe works as an arborist, or tree surgeon, but she's
0:17:50 > 0:17:55also a three-time world champion tree climber. Why, you must be John?
0:17:55 > 0:18:00How are you, all right?This is your challenge for today. Climb this
0:18:00 > 0:18:04beautiful victory.Things have moved on since I last climbed a tree,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08these days it's all about helmets, harnesses and ropes and first you've
0:18:08 > 0:18:12got to get those ropes at the treat. For that you need a throw line. We
0:18:12 > 0:18:17need to get this up in the canopy. Turns out it's a bit more technical
0:18:17 > 0:18:22than just chucking it.Missed. What that's telling you is you need to
0:18:22 > 0:18:30let go more up here.Oh, I hit a branch.They do get stuck.In
0:18:30 > 0:18:34competition you get points for safety, speed and technique. I
0:18:34 > 0:18:39actually missed the entire tree, though. I'm wearing a helmet, so one
0:18:39 > 0:18:45out of 38 bad, but this doesn't bode well.Good bit of power there, good
0:18:45 > 0:18:52fight.Finally it's up, let's go -- one out of three ain't bad. We using
0:18:52 > 0:18:56both hands. After a mere three hours I'm a giddy three feet off the
0:18:56 > 0:19:00ground.You're using your thigh muscle more than your arms.Not the
0:19:00 > 0:19:04most elegant. What is it about trees that got her hooked?Some people
0:19:04 > 0:19:10have a job, they go to work, 9-to-5 and that's it, they have their own
0:19:10 > 0:19:14sports they want to do and my sport happens to be what I do for a job.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19In fact tree climbing means so much to Jo that she even had her wedding
0:19:19 > 0:19:23ceremony in this very tree complete with the vicar in a cherry picker.
0:19:23 > 0:19:32Lovely.Lean back.During the competition, not only will I have to
0:19:32 > 0:19:36climb a tree but also complete a series of tasks against the clock.
0:19:36 > 0:19:43I'm not as graceful as you.It's your first go.I'm on the wrong
0:19:43 > 0:19:50wrong.Keep stepping your feet down. This is the one I pull on?No, the
0:19:50 > 0:19:55other one.While I'm still searching for my inner monkey, in Surrey one
0:19:55 > 0:19:59of my rivals is also preparing for the competition.Trees are amazing.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04There in credible organisms when you really think about it.Scarlet
0:20:04 > 0:20:07English works at the Royal Horticultural Society's garden at
0:20:07 > 0:20:12Wisley where she is training to be an arborist.I worked in gardens and
0:20:12 > 0:20:18saw the team working in the trees above me and I thought, hey, I want
0:20:18 > 0:20:22to be up there, not on the floor. I do find it quite scary at times but
0:20:22 > 0:20:27I think everyone does, they'd be lying to say they didn't sometimes.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Scarlet's been learning the ropes for two years and the UK open will
0:20:31 > 0:20:36be only her second competitive climb. A few weeks later and it's
0:20:36 > 0:20:43the day of the UK open tree climbing Championships in the new Forest. I'm
0:20:43 > 0:20:47up against 13 other climbers from across the country.Climber,
0:20:47 > 0:20:52climber. You get extra points if you've got to hands on the saw, one
0:20:52 > 0:20:57point if you've got one hand on the saw.Macro a two's husband John will
0:20:57 > 0:21:02be one of the judges today, no favouritism I hope. It shows you how
0:21:02 > 0:21:06technical bases and how did these guys are -- macro a two's husband.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Gone are the days when you climb and cut things off, progression has come
0:21:10 > 0:21:17through to be a world champion -- macro a two's husband.-- macro a
0:21:17 > 0:21:22two's husband. Have you been sizing up the opposition?There are quite a
0:21:22 > 0:21:26few new phases, which is good to see....
0:21:30 > 0:21:33As the competition gets under way, it doesn't take long for me to
0:21:33 > 0:21:40realise what I've let myself in for. You are seriously moving up there.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Tried to, it's just a lot of practice I suppose. There's a few
0:21:44 > 0:21:52flipside shouldn't have had.30 seconds left.A few things I could
0:21:52 > 0:21:57have changed, shaking a lot, you try to be fast with the pressure on and
0:21:57 > 0:22:01people watching you but it slows you down.He's got to be on the ground
0:22:01 > 0:22:09before the time runs out and he's got to be unclipped. Here we go.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Tony Dyer Beshara is one of the day's judges and a tree climbing
0:22:13 > 0:22:20trainer.There's been a lot of talk about equipment and... -- Tony
0:22:20 > 0:22:26Derbyshire. You need to show guys different systems that the guys are
0:22:26 > 0:22:30using.You've got the best job in the world when you climb trees, what
0:22:30 > 0:22:36can be better than that? Over on the Kendell challenge, Jo is showing why
0:22:36 > 0:22:49she's three-time world champion. -- ten Dell challenge. -- Bell. How was
0:22:49 > 0:22:53that, Jo?It was good fun, you'll enjoy it.You think you've done all
0:22:53 > 0:23:00right? No blood. Newcomer scarlet's also showing off her skills in the
0:23:00 > 0:23:06expert tree.Stand-up. That's it, go on. Keep going, keep going. Go on.I
0:23:06 > 0:23:12stayed on this side, which I think helped because I was leaning away
0:23:12 > 0:23:16from my rope.
0:23:18 > 0:23:24It was all right, wasn't it?Right, can't put it off any longer. This
0:23:24 > 0:23:32could all end in total humiliation. Man alive! Out of my league. Clear.
0:23:32 > 0:23:40First, getting a line in.Just missed it.Second time lucky... No.
0:23:40 > 0:23:48Third time lucky?Cutting those fingers.Come on! With my line in
0:23:48 > 0:23:54I've got to get the gear on. OK. I'm getting a bit more help than anyone
0:23:54 > 0:23:58else but I don't mind, I'm going to take it. But it's a timed event.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Halfway through I am still on the ground.Ten minutes remaining.He's
0:24:02 > 0:24:10up!Come on, John.Work that pressure, pressure.I'm heading for
0:24:10 > 0:24:23the Bell. Next I've got to throw a lord in the basket.Go on.First go,
0:24:23 > 0:24:29honest. Time for my speedy descent. Feet on the ground.One minute
0:24:29 > 0:24:36remaining.Clock stops when the ropes are down.
0:24:40 > 0:24:52I'm not catlike in the branches. I'm clublike. Bit harsh, Tony. After a
0:24:52 > 0:24:57long day the Ukip Championship goes to Graham Bird. Joe has to make do
0:24:57 > 0:25:02with run-up and Scarlett takes a well deserved fifth -- UK
0:25:02 > 0:25:13Championship. As for me...12, our friend from BBC, John.12 out of 13,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17unbelievably not last, although the other two were disqualified. But
0:25:17 > 0:25:21technically speaking that does me I'm the 12th best tree climber in
0:25:21 > 0:25:27the country. I guess I've got quite a remarkable talent. -- does mean.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32Me and trees, I think we've got something going on.
0:25:33 > 0:25:40You're right, I won't give up the day job. Don't forget the e-mail:
0:25:40 > 0:25:43I'll see you soon, bye-bye.