British man wanted on alleged multi million pound Ponzi fraud arrested in Bangkok

[webfact]

British man wanted on alleged multi million pound Ponzi fraud arrested in Bangkok



BANGKOK:-- A British man wanted in the UK over an alleged fraud totalling almost £3.9 million has been arrested in Bangkok having overstayed his visa.

Mark Hallett, 48, from Somerset, is currently being held at an Immigration detention centre after being arrested by officers from Thonglor police station.

Initially officers expected to process Hallett on Immigration related charges only.

However, early investigations found that Hallet has a warrant out for his arrest in the UK after failing to appear before South Somerset magistrates in 2010 to face 13 charges of fraud and money laundering.

The charges relate to an alleged Ponzi scheme which was carried out between September 1, 2007 and May 1, 2009, with a total gain of £3,897,000.

The two charges of money laundering related to the withdrawal of £3.5 million and the wire transfer of £36,500 to several bank accounts in Thailand.

Thonglor police are also investigating Hallett on claims that he has been involved in a Ponzi scheme in Bangkok.

Police received complaints from victims after Hallett allegedly convinced them to invest in the scheme that involves copper being extracted from scrap metal and sold for profit.

Hallett allegedly promised 20% returns on investment. However, no such returns have been forthcoming.

Thonglor police suspect that more victims of the alleged scrap metal Ponzi scheme are yet to come forward.


-- 2016-05-31

[thaiduncankk]

Another one bites the dust.

[Asiantravel]

how stupid can you get?

With £3.9 million he could have afforded to employ someone just to look after his personal affairs including his immigration status

[lopburi3]

Not that it was any big secret.

Man faces £3.9m fraud allegations

By This is Somerset | Posted: August 05, 2010

A NORTH Perrott man is facing allegations of fraud amounting to nearly £3.9 million.

Mark Hallett, 42, was due to appear before South Somerset magistrates in Yeovil on Monday to face 13 charges of fraud and money laundering. The charges involve an alleged Ponzi scheme, with a total gain of £3,897,000.

Read more: http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/Man-faces-163-3-9m-fraud-allegations/story-12303036-detail/story.html#ixzz4ADJ0JxcL
Follow us: @WesternDaily on Twitter | WesternDaily on Facebook

Edited May 31, 2016 by lopburi3

[donnybay]

The boiler rooms boys still seem to evade the law ok,

[CGW]

The boiler rooms people with money still seem to evade the law ok,

Please excuse I have taken the liberty of changing your post

[Strangebrew]

Surprise surprise when payments stop the boy in brown go to work.

[Boycie]

Remember reading about him last year...

http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2015/03/the-sophisticated-berks-of-bangkok.html

[gandalf12]

Sounds a right plonker. Good that they have caught him, now lock him up and throw the key in the nearest Klong

[haybilly]

But stupid, overstaying your visa when your a fugitive, duh.

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk

[The stuttering parrot]

Sorry I thought it was the Fonzi scheme.

Heeeeeeeeyy??

[marcofunny]

how stupid can you get?

With £3.9 million he could have afforded to employ someone just to look after his personal affairs including his immigration status

in fact with only 500,000£ he could obtain a second citizenship with a new identity from these small Caribbean nations and just hide there or move to another country who don't extradite criminals, cash strapped nations will welcome him with wide arms

Edited May 31, 2016 by marcofunny

[JAG]

When I read the headline I thought they had pinched The Rt Hon. Stephen Crabb MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions!

[eggers]

Yet another, tip of the iceberg, still plenty of so called "advisors" offering deals too good to be true; the rogues know people, have done & will continue to, take the bait !!!

[Acharn]

how stupid can you get?

With £3.9 million he could have afforded to employ someone just to look after his personal affairs including his immigration status

I've read that guys like this need the adrenalin rush from living with risk. They can't stand living without danger. I have read that gangbangers in Los Angeles will go chat with cops on stakeout just to take the risk the cops will arrest them. Confidence men are probably like that. "Will the mark tumble before I get the money? Will the cops find me afterward? Man, this is the life."

[bangkapi]

He is clearly innocent as I see no proof in the form of a photo with a police officer pointing at him.

[MockingJay]

Hang the small, and let the big ones (FED, Goldmann Sachs, etc.) walk...

[SOTIRIOS]

...a shame they can't...or won't....do the same thing to their local bigger fish......

...is the 1 Trillion Baht Rice Scam Trial over already by the way.....???

[jvs]

But stupid, overstaying your visa when your a fugitive, duh.

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk

I guess he could not go to the British Ambassy to get a new passport?

[haybilly]

No, they're getting a bit funny like that- useless, eh.

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk

[Doc46]

But stupid, overstaying your visa when your a fugitive, duh.

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk

Not to bright,,,just a Tosser in the shit,,,

[rebelplatoon]

If it sounds too good to be true...It usually IS. 20% !

[Suradit69]

how stupid can you get?

With £3.9 million he could have afforded to employ someone just to look after his personal affairs including his immigration status

a warrant out for his arrest in the UK after failing to appear before South Somerset magistrates in 2010 to face 13 charges of fraud and money laundering.

Probably had to pay a decent amount of tea money to the British Police and immigrations who "lost" him 6 years ago.

[GAZZPA]

Hang the small, and let the big ones (FED, Goldmann Sachs, etc.) walk...

I would not call 3.9 million pounds small...

If it were a 300 grand, ok. In fact they probably would not even look to hard for him, but 3.9 million you are on the run for the rest of your days.

[NCFC]

Two more years and he cudda had a retirement visa

[sherlockh]

how stupid can you get?

With £3.9 million he could have afforded to employ someone just to look after his personal affairs including his immigration status

a warrant out for his arrest in the UK after failing to appear before South Somerset magistrates in 2010 to face 13 charges of fraud and money laundering.

Probably had to pay a decent amount of tea money to the British Police and immigrations who "lost" him 6 years ago.

[luckyman]

Hang the small, and let the big ones (FED, Goldmann Sachs, etc.) walk...

I would not call 3.9 million pounds small...

If it were a 300 grand, ok. In fact they probably would not even look to hard for him, but 3.9 million you are on the run for the rest of your days.

And rightly so, with that amount it is certain he must have destabilized and maybe even impoverished dozens of people, who maybe now might see some of their money back.

I am glad they caught the bastard, luckily more and more these days get caught, much more than before the Army was in charge....

Edited May 31, 2016 by luckyman

[grankboy]

When somebody applies for a visa don't Thai immigration check for outstanding warrants etc ?

[Khon Kaen Dave]

A scam is a scam.And if there are people stupid enough not to know about these scams,well,more fool them.People have been warned for years about this sort of thing,but geed still drives them on.Same as the boiler room boys,people are still sending them money,even after all the warnings and information.Lets face it,some people are just plain stupid.

He did it,he did it over 2 years,he made a fortune from idiots whose greed outweighed their brains.These scams aren't new. Look at the pyramid scams over the years.

if people are sensible to save all their lives for a better future,they are sensible enough not to blow it on some get rich quick scheme,which we know does not exist.

They say you cant con an honest man.Seriously?

No one got killed or beaten up.it was a clean money making scam and he got away with it for a while.

His mistake was that he overstayed his visa,thats what screwed him,he should have been more wise.

What a stupid way to get nicked.

Maybe he wasnt so smart.

[Dumbastheycome]

...a shame they can't...or won't....do the same thing to their local bigger fish......

...is the 1 Trillion Baht Rice Scam Trial over already by the way.....???

A fish is a fish. 1 caught by the hook invoves less work than using a net.