Another Pyramid Con

Sasahara

trisontana wrote: »

Never mind mathematics, what about spelling? It's lose and losing, not loose and loosing!

Making a typo at 1.35am is unlikely to "lose" me money.

dealer_wins

SnowTiger wrote: »

Are there victims?

Presumably those who parted with £3,000 knew they would have to persuade friends and family to take part in the scheme to profit themselves. They were part of the con, too.

Good question.

IMO when greed takes hold (greed sold to them by their supposedly good friends/family be it), people can completely lose all their judgement and throw money away literally. But I dont think they should be compensated, as they willing put their money into something illegal.

I think if money is recovered from the ring-leading fraudsters (and I hope they are left penniless), it should go to charity, or to the government to reduce our tax bill!!

bod1467

dealer_wins wrote: »

But I dont think they should be compensated, as they willing put their money into something illegal.

Willingly? So it seems.

Knowingly? That's a different question.

trisontana

Just to wrap this up, the three women who pleaded guilty have now received their sentences:-

Susan Crane, Mary Nash and Hazel Cameron, who had earlier pleaded guilty to the offences of promoting and operating a pyramid promotional scheme, were today sentenced.
Susan Crane and Mary Nash were sentenced to 6 months’ immediate imprisonment and Hazel Cameron was sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment suspended for 2 years.

trisontana

Another update-
Rita Lomas who allegedly made £40,000 from this scam has been ordered to pay back £1 (one pound!) because that's all the assets she has . If her finances the judge saidthat if her financial circumstances improved she would be called upon to pay the whole or any part of the money she made.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-33536824

tonycottee

trisontana wrote: »

Another update-
Rita Lomas who allegedly made £40,000 from this scam has been ordered to pay back £1 (one pound!) because that's all the assets she has . If her finances the judge saidthat if her financial circumstances improved she would be called upon to pay the whole or any part of the money she made.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-33536824

Looking at that photo of her - wasn't she in Spitting Image?

trisontana

From the Competition and Markets Authority:-

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pyramid-scheme-organisers-ordered-to-pay-over-500000

"Following convictions for their roles in a pyramid selling scheme, the CMA has secured a total of £535,454 in confiscation orders and prosecution costs from 6 organisers"

"Confiscation orders totaling £333,138 and prosecution costs of £182,172 were made against Laura Fox, Carol Chalmers, Jennifer Smith Hayes, Susan Crane, Mary Nash and Hazel Cameron at Bristol Crown Court by His Honour Judge Horton between 20 and 21 July.
The Chair of the committee, described by Judge Horton as the “driving force behind the scheme”, Laura Fox, and 2 other committee members, Carol Chalmers and Jennifer Smith Hayes, were sentenced in February 2013, to 9 months’ imprisonment for ‘promoting’ and ‘operating’ a pyramid promotional scheme contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (the Regulations)."