Online Investigations : Background checks

Looking to purchase expensive items or services from a company? May be you're looking to invest in a company? We can help by providing a detailed report into companies to help you make informed decisions.

Rogue traders

If you've been the victim of a rogue trader, we can gather information and intelligence to help you seek redress. Recently we have investigated a number of high-profile investment cases e.g. land-banking and vintage wine investments; probably the 2 most prolific scams of the present and often it's the same people behind both.

Land-banking scam

A seemingly legitimate investment/property company contacts you offering to invest in plots of land. The idea is that they then get planning permission which greatly increases the value of the land then they sell it on for a profit and everyone's a winner. Or so they tell you. What actually happens is usually one of 2 things; either the investment company has total rights to the land taking all the profit or the land is worthless for various reasons e.g. planning restrictions; green belt etc. either of which leaves you out of pocket. These firms often use high-pressure sales techniques and then pass your details to other companies operating the same scam. These rogue traders usually use a complex web of 'virtual offices' and front companies to hide their identity. We can peel that mask back and expose them.

Vintage wine investment scam

This mirrors the land banking scam only it's wine instead of land. More often than not, the wine is worth pennies and they sell it far above market value with false promises high returns of investment (ROI).