MSE News: £6m up-front fee fraud hits 15,000 victims

Paul_Varjak

Ex-detective Christopher Taylor, embarked on a second career as a debt collector upon his retirement from West Yorkshire Police; that career is now, almost certainly over, following his conviction for money laundering in £5.7m debt elimination and bogus escort agency scams.

Taylor dreamed of bringing other former Police Officers into his debt collection business but now he will probably have to live with the nightmare suffered by many other convicted West Yorkshire Police Officers - living in prison, possibly with those he had previously helped to convict.

Taylor, an ex-fraud squad detwctive, was described in Court, by a former colleague, as an ‘outstanding’ officer, so how could Taylor be so naive as to become involved with a notorious and well-publicised convicted timeshare conman, Toni Muldoon?

Taylor entered into a business deal during an apparently chance meeting with Muldoon in a tourist bar on the Costa del Sol. In just one hour, Taylor had sealed his ultimate fate. Taylor had claimed in Court that he could not form a full opinion of Muldoon in just one hour, but he continued to work for Muldoon for the next three years, even allowing Muldoon direct access to his business bank account.

Surely, in the space of those three years, Taylor must have realised he was laundering money for a convicted con man? Taylor claims he did not know or suspect anything, despite newspaper cuttings being found in Taylor’s possession about Muldoon’s fraudulent activities. Trading Standards officers even found a partially completed biography, written by Taylor, about Muldoon, entitled: Born to be a Costa Conman, on Taylor’s computer.

Taylor was naive, of course, in believing that he would never be caught. Before setting up as a debt collector, Taylor received advice from Trading Standards on how to avoid any involvement in money-laundering. Such advice, fell on this ex-fraud detective’s deaf ears. And, in a twist of irony, it was Trading Standards who successfully prosecuted Taylor for that very offence. Taylor clearly never thought that Suffolk Trading Standards would pursue a case that necessitated international arrest warrants, extradition or the searching of foreign bank accounts.

When Muldoon’s bank accounts were being frozen and the Ministry of Justice was getting involved, Muldoon confided in Taylor by email: “It has been non-stop rebuilding bridges torn down by the banks. You know me. I will not be beaten.”

But Muldoon was beaten and did capitulate, pleading guilty before the trial even came to Court, just as he had done in Spain a few years earlier for a time share scam he had masterminded. Taylor’s mistake was to believe he could fool the jury with a not guilty plea on the basis that a former Police Officer would not get involved in any criminal activity. His bluff failed and he will surely pay the price with a heavier sentence.

There is still the question of Taylor’s own debt collection business, which he ran separately from the debt elimination scam run by Muldoon but apparently used the same bank account. Taylor would claim that this was a legitimate business whose downfall only came about because he gave Muldoon access to that bank account.

But what legitimate debt collection agency charges upfront fees of £595 (similar to Muldoon’s Debt elimination scam) and not have a Consumer Credit Licence? First Debt Recovery operated without any such licence and charged those fees to clients.

Taylor was instrumental in setting up Baker and Bond Ltd and Baker and Bond (UK) Ltd. These debt collection agencies also charged upfront fees of £595 and neither held a Consumer Credit Licence. Both were closed down by the High Court ‘in the public interest’.

Taylor’s involvement with Muldoon and his association with Ian Burrow, who ran two debt collection agencies for Taylor as well as four on his own, that charged upfront fees, clearly indicate that Taylor is not averse to forming business relationships with persons of dubious character. That must bring into question his whole career as a Police officer and what personal and business relationships he formed during that time. Taylor’s wife remains a serving Police Officer with West Yorkshire Police.

This case was the largest ever brought by Suffolk Trading Standards and its costs are currently being born by Suffolk Council taxpayers. There are likely to be further investigations to recover ill-gotten gains as well as attempts to recover the costs of the 3+ year investigation and a ten week trial. Trading Standards may like to consider Taylor’s ownership of a holiday cottage in Whitby and his house in Oxford Road, Wakefield.

As well as Taylor and Muldoon, all four other defendants were found guilty and remain in custody for sentencing next month.

annypzt

It should be noted that the companies involved have frequently been mentioned on these boards as potential scams. It just backs up what forum members have been saying for a long time.

Expect more of these companies to be caught in the same way as the advance fee fraud is still going strong.

CKhalvashi

annypzt wrote: »

It should be noted that the companies involved have frequently been mentioned on these boards as potential scams. It just backs up what forum members have been saying for a long time.

Expect more of these companies to be caught in the same way as the advance fee fraud is still going strong.

I hope they are caught if operating illegally!

It sickens me to see the vulnerable treated like s#!t!

dunstonh

CKhalvashi wrote: »

I hope they are caught if operating illegally!

It sickens me to see the vulnerable treated like s#!t!

annypzt is not a real poster. It is either a bot or a spam building attempt. All posts made so far have been a copy and past of some text made earlier on the thread.

Paul_Varjak

dunstonh wrote: »

annypzt is not a real poster. It is either a bot or a spam building attempt. All posts made so far have been a copy and past of some text made earlier on the thread.

I had noticed that too. But I think she may not know how to quote earlier text, properly, which makes it a dead giveaway!

She has 10 posts now, so she can post links. Interesting to see what they may be!

CKhalvashi

dunstonh wrote: »

annypzt is not a real poster. It is either a bot or a spam building attempt. All posts made so far have been a copy and past of some text made earlier on the thread.

I'd guessed there was something a little amiss, but was in a hurry this morning :eek:

Thanks for confirming that Dunston! I hadn't noticed about the other threads.

CK