Property Experts – We're rarely speachless but scams are there. . .
The other day I received an email about a ‘fantastic' investment in which you pay £1000 upfront and £100 per month, and you are guaranteed to make over 15% per annum. It's guaranteed.
I thought great, really! Just £1000 then £100 per month and it's guaranteed. Well, that must be something all of my investors would be into.
Now for any of you who are thinking “That sounds great.”
Stop right there you idiots, you should be thinking “sounds too good to be true” and it was I am sure.
I called the number for details of the investment. We'll call the guy who answered “Con” as in con man. He, first of all, wanted all my details upfront. (No doubt so they can harass the sh*t out of you and then eventually when you don't buy, they sell your data onto another Con.) I gave all my fake marketing data, and he proceeded to tell me about this great property investment and how much money I would make, guaranteed.
I asked him “Where are you based?” Con(man) says, “Cyprus”.
This could mean anywhere really, how was I too know where he was and how was I too chase if he or his company did a runner with my money.
I asked, “Is there a UK company that is providing the guarantee?”
Con(man) says, “Well no but that doesn't matter they have been going for ages.”
I am sure we've heard it all before; celebrity backers, biggest in their field, the owner is a millionaire, they found a way to make money that no-one else did.
I asked, “What assets or backing does the guarantee have?”
Con(man) says after a pause “Well, um, that doesn't matter they have been going for ages.”
The fact is I can stand up and say I will guarantee each of you a 20%, 40% even a 5000% return guaranteed but if the guarantee isn't backed with assets, cash reserves, deposit bonds, demonstrated performance over a long period, personal guarantees then it's not worth the ink it's written with.
I asked, “Do we actually own the asset directly or are we just lending you money and relying on you to invest it properly and give my money back?”
Con(man) says – “I don't like your questions, I am hanging up!” Beep beep beep.
Conversation ended. I did try calling back but was promptly hung up on again because they're scams.
I gave up… putting this one down to another dodgy investment opportunity that will probably bring in hundreds of thousands or even millions before it all comes tumbling down.
Make no mistake there are people making all sorts of claims out there and there will be even more coming back to the market over the next few years. They are nothing more than petty criminals.
If I knew a way I could guarantee you a return of 20% a year, even 10% I would not only be telling you I would be doing it myself but the truth is there is not.
Sorry, let me say that again clearer…
There is NOT a way, not one single way that you can guarantee those sort of returns.
We've seen so many of these scams come and go over the past 5 years of Gladfish, and I've seen even more over my 20 years since leaving school. We've seen so many that I have now instructed my team to return the following answer when clients ask what we think about a certain opportunity/scam.
“It sounds great, why don't you go and lose all your money and then come back to us when you realized that it was too good to be true” they will then PAUSE LAUGH LOUDLY then continue “far too many people we know have lost money with schemes/scams just like this, now tell me, do you honestly think this is a legitimate opportunity.”
Hopefully, you'll reply “Thanks for being honest let me do much more due diligence and investment research and reconsider.”
If you do want to avoid the pain of the scams out there then just give the team a call on +44 (0)207 923 6100 or www.ezytrac.co.uk, and they'll show you the real returns that can be made. No guarantees, no hype, just quality education based on proven fundamentals using realistic timelines.
Live with passion,
Brett Alegre-Wood
