Investment Scams
FCA and FSCS: “Investors should do more due diligence”
A survey by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found that many investors avoid doing due diligence because they found the process “complicated” and “time consuming.” According to the results of the study, 42% of Britons aged 18 to 24, who have money in investments, claim their latest investment was…
Read MoreBeware the professional enabler
A lawyer, finance expert, or some other professional who acts as an enabler of an economic crime is referred to as a professional enabler. These are the people who will create, ignore, fail to identify, and purposely facilitate an economic crime or criminal system. In most cases, we only see the ‘face’ of the crime.…
Read MoreDirector disqualification for dodgy wine dealer
Earlier this month, former wine investor William Geoffrey Mason received a 10-year company director disqualification. An Insolvency Service investigation found that Mason, 54, “abused” hundreds of thousands of pounds investors paid his company. Between 2001 and 2019, Mason’s business, William Mason Fine Wines (WMFW), received more than £445,000 in payments from investors. However, investigators concluded…
Read MoreConsumers warned over pre-paid energy scams
Cifas, the leading fraud prevention service in Britain, issued a warning to gas and electricity customers about pre-paid energy scams masquerading as discounted offers. These scams have impacted more than 188,000 victims, including customers of British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, Scottish Power, and SSE. The escalating cost of living is no hidden fact, causing anxiety…
Read MoreWhen Cryptocurrency Goes Wrong: Netflix Investigates
Netflix’s newest true-crime offering is a cautionary tale about the world of cryptocurrency investments. Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King follows the rise and fall of Gerald Cotten, founder of the QuadrigaCX cryptocurrency exchange. The result is a gripping documentary that attempts to trace the $150million (around £115m) investors lost following Cotton’s…
Read MoreDue diligence in the Dragon’s Den
Although the BBC’s long-running reality TV show Dragon’s Den has produced several business success stories, there have also been some missed opportunities. In 2007, for example, Jamaican chef Levi Roots earned a tidy sum after celebrity angel investor Peter Jones offered £50,000 for a 40% stake in his Reggae Reggae Sauce business. However, later that…
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