David Ames was a twice-bankrupt double-glazing salesman from Basildon with dreams of building a Caribbean property empire. His company, Harlequin, promised ordinary investors luxury resort properties at bargain prices – their slice of paradise and financial security.
Over nearly a decade, more than 8,000 people handed over £400 million. Many bet their entire pension pots on Ames' vision.
But behind Ames’ slick marketing pitch lay financial chaos and systematic deception. While investors waited for dream properties, their money funded pirate ships, imported sand that washed away with the tide, and eye-watering sales commissions.
From a local newspaper investigation that exposed the scheme to the Serious Fraud Office's decade-long pursuit of justice, this is the story of how thousands lost everything betting on one man’s vision.
Featuring exclusive interviews with victims, investigators, and industry insiders, The Lost Caribbean Millions reveals the human cost of one of Britain's biggest investment frauds.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
David Ames was a twice-bankrupt double-glazing salesman from Basildon with dreams of building a Caribbean property empire. His company, Harlequin, promised ordinary investors luxury resort properties at bargain prices – their slice of paradise and financial security.
Over nearly a decade, more than 8,000 people handed over £400 million. Many bet their entire pension pots on Ames' vision.
But behind Ames’ slick marketing pitch lay financial chaos and systematic deception. While investors waited for dream properties, their money funded pirate ships, imported sand that washed away with the tide, and eye-watering sales commissions.
From a local newspaper investigation that exposed the scheme to the Serious Fraud Office's decade-long pursuit of justice, this is the story of how thousands lost everything betting on one man’s vision.
Featuring exclusive interviews with victims, investigators, and industry insiders, The Lost Caribbean Millions reveals the human cost of one of Britain's biggest investment frauds.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A balmy evening in 2009. Steel drums, champagne, and celebrity endorsements. David Ames – a twice-bankrupt salesman from Essex – unveils his vision: Caribbean paradise resorts where ordinary people can own property for just £1,000. With backing from football legends, tennis stars, and property guru Phil Spencer, thousands of investors hand over life savings and pension pots. But who is David Ames? What experience does he have building international resorts? As money floods in and construction begins, the first cracks start appearing in paradise.
Hosts: George Odling and Andy Jehring
Series Producer: Ósk Pétursdóttir
Sound Design: John Scott
Executive Producer: Bella Soames
Additional Production: Julia Webster
If you have any information you’d like to share with us about Harlequin, please drop us a line at hsl@dailymail.co.uk
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.