The SFO is appealing for information from the public about a
complex timeshare services scheme it believes was operated by an
organised crime network.
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is today appealing for information
from the public in relation to a complex timeshare services
scheme it believes was operated by an organised crime
network.
This new SFO investigation is being announced after it
intercepted suspected ongoing criminal activity.
In August, the SFO arrested a key suspect at Manchester Airport
and searched his home address, going on to conduct four arrests
of suspected accomplices and conduct three raids of properties
across England the following month. The SFO was assisted by the
National Crime Agency, Greater Manchester Police and
Hertfordshire Constabulary in these operations.
It is suspected the companies cold called members of the public
offering exit and/or compensation from timeshare or holiday clubs
for an upfront fee between January 2018 and September 2024. No
services are understood to have ever been provided in most
cases.
People who purchased these services are then believed to have
been contacted again and pressured into paying another upfront
fee to recover their money on the basis that it was fraudulent.
The SFO is asking for anyone contacted by these companies to
share information via a questionnaire on its website.
The companies are: AML Executive Contracts Ltd, ASA Partnership
Ltd, DW Contract Consultancy Ltd, DW Law Consultancy Ltd, ERS
Europe Ltd, Harwood Advisory Group Ltd, Huntland Rock Associates
Ltd (Hunter Rock Associates), Meta UK Group Ltd, Milton Chadwick
Consultants Ltd, The Nobel Group of Companies (including but not
limited to Nobel Acquisitions and Investment Group Ltd and Nobel
Business Services Ltd), Park Square Associates Ltd, Rockland
Associates Ltd, Silverstream Management Group Ltd, Sonata Trading
Ltd, Termination Services Ltd, The Biz Doc UK Ltd aka Business
Doctor, Timeshare Legals Ltd, TSL Europe Ltd and Venture
Compliance Ltd.
Nick Ephgrave QPM, Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO),
said:
The SFO does not wait for victims to be defrauded before using
our specialist skills to intervene.
In September we put a stop to a suspected criminal network's
efforts to defraud and today we are appealing to anyone who
thinks they may have been affected to come forward, helping us
push forward with a robust investigation.
