Fresh wave of scammers target victims
Fraud cop urges vigilance to derail criminals
20th September 2009
Sometimes the scams are so golden, they come piled on top of the rip-offs.
Those who've monitored an alleged Calgary-based Ponzi scheme they say has bilked more than 3,000 people of as much as $400 million say con artists have lined up to milk the investors' misfortune anew.
They've set up a scheme claiming they're intent on recovering what are life savings possibly lost to a gold investment scam allegedly headed by Calgary-area men Milowe Brost and Gary Sorenson, said watchdog Graham McMillan.
All it takes is the investment of another $750 apiece.
"It's a Ponzi on top of a Ponzi ... there's no shame," said Manitoba native McMillan, who said his father recovered a $50,000 investment from the same scheme after suspicions arose.
"What's amazed me is how many bad people are out there and how do all the sociopaths find each other?"
After chasing fraudsters for nearly four years, nothing surprises Det. Colin Harper of the city police commercial crimes unit.
It's all about greed and an easy score, often fuelled by the gullibility and greed of victims, he says.
He cites the Calgary case of a 21-year-old woman a few years ago who made $900,000 in a mere 11 days through credit card skimming and fraud before she was busted.
Abridged
SOURCE: The Ottawa Sun
------------------------------------------------------
Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources
No comments:
Post a Comment