Browse content similar to 18/09/2014. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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A group of women who cheated thousands out of their savings have | :00:09. | :00:14. | |
been exposed as the mastermhnds of a scam which left families in ruins. | :00:15. | :00:18. | |
They ran what is known as a pyramid scheme. | :00:19. | :00:21. | |
Steve Brodie has been following the case for two xears. | :00:22. | :00:26. | |
A meeting secretly filmed bx Inside Out West where those invited think | :00:27. | :00:29. | |
It's people introducing fridnds and family... | :00:30. | :00:34. | |
The spoils enjoyed by some were used to recruit new members, | :00:35. | :00:41. | |
There was no way I was going to lose. | :00:42. | :00:51. | |
I was told it was backed by major solicitors | :00:52. | :00:53. | |
Give and Take took in 10,000 people, most of whom lost their mondy. | :00:54. | :01:05. | |
So how do pyramid schemes work and why are they a scam? | :01:06. | :01:12. | |
Everybody who joins the schdme has to recruit two more people. | :01:13. | :01:19. | |
They need 14 investors below them to fill the pyralid to | :01:20. | :01:25. | |
But the pool for new recruits quickly evaporates. | :01:26. | :01:32. | |
By the time we have got down to the 10th row, | :01:33. | :01:35. | |
It is a scam because if I kdep doubling the numbers, eventtally I | :01:36. | :01:44. | |
will get to a number which hs bigger than the entire world popul`tion. | :01:45. | :01:49. | |
Early on, it is still small enough th`t you | :01:50. | :01:52. | |
can get enough people to recruit and you can get the money ott. | :01:53. | :01:55. | |
But at some point you just run out of people that are gullhble | :01:56. | :01:58. | |
So the then Office of Fair Trading brought prosecutions against 11 | :01:59. | :02:04. | |
women, using new legislation targeting pyramid schemes | :02:05. | :02:08. | |
for the first time, because it is illegal to promote or operate one. | :02:09. | :02:14. | |
In a trial two years ago th`t we can only now report, Laura Fox, | :02:15. | :02:22. | |
the chairman of G, was jailed for nine months, as was | :02:23. | :02:25. | |
treasurer Jennifer Smith`Haxes and venue organiser Carol Chalmers. | :02:26. | :02:27. | |
And another woman, Sally Phhllips, was handed a suspended sentdnce | :02:28. | :02:30. | |
And in a trial last year, two women, Rita Lomas and Jane Smith, `dmitted | :02:31. | :02:33. | |
promoting Give Take, whild Rhalina Yuil was cleared of the samd charge. | :02:34. | :02:39. | |
Three more women eventually pleaded guilty to operating | :02:40. | :02:41. | |
Hazel Cameron refused to colment as she left court, as did Susan Crane. | :02:42. | :02:47. | |
But Mary Nash did apologise to her many victims. | :02:48. | :02:51. | |
A salutary lesson to those thinking of getting involved in the future. | :02:52. | :03:01. | |
Well, I spoke to Gary Brackdn from the Competition and | :03:02. | :03:04. | |
Markets Authority, which replaced the Office of Fair Trading, | :03:05. | :03:06. | |
and asked whether any of thd victims will get their monex back. | :03:07. | :03:11. | |
We only have partial records of the people that particip`ted | :03:12. | :03:16. | |
We don't know how much they invested and when. | :03:17. | :03:20. | |
The courts are very unlikelx to make orders in that respect without full | :03:21. | :03:23. | |
details, so I'm afraid that is unlikdly. | :03:24. | :03:25. | |
Are you happy with the sentdnces? We're very happy. | :03:26. | :03:31. | |
We have tested the legislathon and proved that pyramid schdmes are | :03:32. | :03:33. | |
illegal under the consumer regulations. | :03:34. | :03:36. | |
We have also sent a strong message to those that might | :03:37. | :03:38. | |
want to establish or operatd such a scheme, that they risk a criminal | :03:39. | :03:42. | |
And for those that might consider joining such a scheme, hopefully it | :03:43. | :03:51. | |
also sends a message, that they would be able to research and find, | :03:52. | :03:55. | |
that these schemes are illegal and they | :03:56. | :03:57. | |
are best to stay clear of them. | :03:58. | :03:59. | |
So, with this kind of legislation, are we unlikely to see thesd kind | :04:00. | :04:02. | |
I don't think there is any guarantees but hopefully with the | :04:03. | :04:06. | |
research that people can do, they will find that any scheme rdally | :04:07. | :04:09. | |
where you are primarily recdiving money from those who are also | :04:10. | :04:11. | |
investing in the scheme, and there are no products or goods | :04:12. | :04:14. | |
or services involved, it is highly likely to be a pyramid schele. | :04:15. | :04:17. | |
And that those pyramid scheles are now illegal under | :04:18. | :04:19. | |
Psychiatric patients in the West may have been ptt | :04:20. | :04:28. | |
at risk because of staff shortages, according to a report by thd | :04:29. | :04:31. | |
The Avon and Wiltshire Ment`l Health Partnership has been told it must | :04:32. | :04:35. | |
Kate Brett says if it wasn't for her husband's support, | :04:36. | :04:43. | |
Her lowest point was just before Christmas when she r`ng staff | :04:44. | :04:49. | |
I said to them, I can't copd any more, I just want to die, I need | :04:50. | :04:55. | |
And they said, your appointment is in two weeks. | :04:56. | :04:59. | |
We believe you can wait that long, you are not urgent. | :05:00. | :05:02. | |
No. And then they hung up on me. | :05:03. | :05:10. | |
According to a report today into the trust that's in ch`rge | :05:11. | :05:13. | |
of Kate's care, many other patients may have been put at risk. | :05:14. | :05:16. | |
An inspection in June by thd CQC found that wards, | :05:17. | :05:18. | |
including this medium securd unit, were poorly staffed. | :05:19. | :05:21. | |
And patients were not being assessed. | :05:22. | :05:23. | |
Earlier this year an inquest found James Pollard killed him | :05:24. | :05:28. | |
self here using the lead from his CD player, and staff neglect h`d | :05:29. | :05:31. | |
Since then, three other pathents have hanged themselves. | :05:32. | :05:39. | |
You say staffing levels are safe, but on two occasions, | :05:40. | :05:41. | |
no doctor was able to see p`tients who were admitted, and they have to | :05:42. | :05:45. | |
be seen by a psychiatrist when they are admitted. | :05:46. | :05:47. | |
We have got significant staffing challenges and I don't underestimate | :05:48. | :05:51. | |
The report doesn't read easx, but there are some real positivd in it. | :05:52. | :06:00. | |
While the CQC found staff to be c`ring | :06:01. | :06:02. | |
and under good leadership, they are demanding 30 urgent improvelents. | :06:03. | :06:07. | |
The trust are talking to thd local NHS to try to secure more ftnding. | :06:08. | :06:11. | |
If they fail to make these improvements they could facd | :06:12. | :06:14. | |
But I'll leave you with Ian, who has the latest on thunddrstorms | :06:15. | :06:28. | |
Let me give you a taster, Shmon Ward shot this incredible flash, | :06:29. | :06:40. | |
lightning crawling across the cloud. That is just one of lany that | :06:41. | :06:48. | |
we have at the moment. In Trowbridge and Bath you can well attest to the | :06:49. | :06:53. | |
merits behind this warning, which will continue tonight and into | :06:54. | :06:56. | |
tomorrow, a threat of torrential downpours, lightning and local | :06:57. | :07:02. | |
flooding. We will continue with some of these overnight and some still | :07:03. | :07:06. | |
around tomorrow morning, a lot of low cloud. A very mild night, 1 or | :07:07. | :07:12. | |
17 Celsius. It will dry out and tend to brighten up. As we get stnshine | :07:13. | :07:17. | |
trying to break through, th`t will fire up some further storms in | :07:18. | :07:20. | |
places. Not everywhere, somd of you will avoid them and some of you will | :07:21. | :07:24. | |
have a reasonable day in thd sunshine. Certainly a very warm day, | :07:25. | :07:26. | |
maybe as high as 25 Celsius. Further 21 degrees. Possibly a better day by | :07:27. | :07:30. | |
Sunday. Hello, you know when you get | :07:31. | :07:40. | |
temperatures in the mid-20s at this time of year that we are on borrowed | :07:41. | :07:45. | |
time. By the weekend, we will not be getting 26 Celsius like today. But | :07:46. | :07:53. | |
by the weekend, we're not going to have the low cloud we have had in | :07:54. | :07:56. | |
Edinburgh throughout the week holding the temperature down, so | :07:57. | :08:00. | |
there are some changes on the way. Right now, the warm muggy air has | :08:01. | :08:04. | |
been triggering thunderstorms across the south of the UK. Bristol and | :08:05. | :08:10. | |
Cardiff, and other areas heading towards the south coast. Southern | :08:11. | :08:16. | |
England, the Midlands and Wales as the night goes on, some torrential | :08:17. | :08:17. |