Thailand Link In Ebay Golf Club Scam

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London, September 24: A UK court heard evidence on September 22, 2009, of how a global network of criminals perpetrated a multimillion pound golf scam on eBay described as the “largest fraud uncovered by the online auction site.” Crucial evidence established links with Thailand as part of the scam network.

The counterfeit golf clubs, as well as clothing and accessories, all bearing lookalike trademarks to virtually all major brands, were made in China and afterwards shipped to England. Police became involved when, after an elderly female pensioner’s repeated requests for a refund on two golf clubs were ignored by ringleader Gary Bellchambers, she complained to trading standards officers.

“Over the course of about four years, between mid-2003 and early-2008, these defendants and their co-conspirators have been responsible for the sale and distribution of hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of pounds’ worth of counterfeit goods both here in the UK and abroad — primarily through the well-known auction website eBay. This is a conspiracy of a truly global nature. Conspirators are thought to have been based in the UK, Thailand, Australia, Germany, Singapore, USA, Hong Kong, China — and goods have been distributed from, or to, all those countries and more,” said prosecutor Adam Davis.

Authorities know Thailand has a link in this web of deceit as documentation found in Bellchambers’ possession indicated evidence of “large sums of money being transferred between accounts held by Bellchambers both here in the UK and in Thailand, ” according to Adam Davis. The trial is still in process.

Source:

http://pattayadailynews.com/shownews.php?IDNEWS=0000010479

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Some Pattaya residents will recognize the name of the defendant as Mr Bellchambers is/was a long term resident of Pattaya.

The original source and pictures is at:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/c...icle6845133.ece

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Essex boy known as 'The Man' made millions in 'biggest-ever eBay fraud' from exploding golf balls and fake clubs

By Andrew Levy

Last updated at 1:50 AM on 15th December 2009

At home in England, Gary Bellchambers was the invisible man with a modest ex-council house and a battered Ford Escort.

But in Pattaya, Thailand, he was known as The Man - a hugely successful businessman who had a string of luxury homes, membership of all the best clubs and a share of a £1.5 million yacht.

The reason for the double life was the 46-year-old's attempts to evade the attention of authorities at his official residence in Rainham, Essex.

He headed an extraordinary global network of criminals selling millions of pounds worth of counterfeit golf clubs to eBay customers in the biggest scam ever uncovered on the online auction site.

Unsuspecting customers also bought fake golf balls - some of which exploded when hit - as well as accessories, clothing, passes for an airline lounge, and even memory sticks.

The operation's downfall finally came about after more than four years when a woman complained to trading standards officers.

The conspirators usually arranged refunds for unhappy customers to avoid investigations but the woman's emails were missed because Bellchambers was living it up in Thailand at the time.

He and two other defendants have now admitted offences including conspiring together to sell or distribute counterfeit goods.

Four other defendants were found guilty of the conspiracy charge at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London yesterday.

Prosecutor Adam Davis said: 'Over the course of about four years, between mid-2003 and early-2008, these defendants and their co-conspirators have been responsible for the sale and distribution of hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of pounds worth of counterfeit goods both here in the UK and abroad - primarily through the well-known auction website eBay.

'This is a conspiracy of a truly global nature. Conspirators are thought to have been based in the UK, Thailand, Australia, Germany, Singapore, USA, Hong Kong and China and goods have been distributed from, or to, all of those countries and more.'

The scam involved fake copies of top brand clubs - including TaylorMade, Odyssey, and Callaway - being made in factories in China.

They cost less than £3 to make but were marketed online as the genuine article and sold for up to £100.

Bellchambers recruited family and friends to assist him in the conspiracy and other people were employed around the world.

Many allowed their existing eBay accounts to be used to sell the items or permitted their names and addresses to be registered to set up new accounts.

The deception was so successful that in one 28-day period in November 2006, investigators discovered £73,000 was transferred between accounts.

Bellchambers' cut of the proceeds allowed him to live a millionaire's lifestyle.

He bought at least ten houses in Thailand, many of which he rented out, had a share in the yacht, and owned outright a floating restaurant in Australia.

He also had shares in more than 20 British an international companies, including many Blue Chip firms.

The operation finally collapsed when customer Christine Manz contacted trading standards because she was unable to get refunds for two golf clubs.

Havering Council in Romford, north east London, launched an investigation, codenamed Operation Augusta - after the U.S. golf club which hosts the Masters - and built up a case against the gang.

Bill Adams, Havering's principal trading standards officers, said after the hearing: 'In my 35 years as an investigator I have never before heard of such a massive counterfeiting operation - it was on a scale that has never been seen before.

'The gang made millions from their operation, selling to people all over the world. This conspiracy was like a huge spider's web which we had to unravel.'

The defendants found guilty at court yesterday were Roy Cottee, 65, and his 43-year-old wife Kay, both of Rainham, Essex; Helen Wilson, 28, of Hertford; and Sharron Williams, 48, of West Wickham, Kent.

The people who, along with Bellchambers, had already admitted offences, were Keith Thomas, 49, of Rainham, and Chris Moughton, 56, from Blackpool.

Simon Eden, 44, of Hertford, was found not guilty and the jury was unable to reach a verdict against Mark Kent, 46, of Rainham.

An eBay spokesman said the firm worked with investigators for three years to uncover the fraud.

Mark Lewis, country manager for eBay UK, said: 'Trust is at the heart of everything we do and so when, on occasion, that trust is abused by the small minority, we work tirelessly to ensure they do not get away with it.

'This has been a long and complex investigation and our Fraud Investigation Team has worked tirelessly with Havering Trading Standards to bring about this successful prosecution.'

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