Heists, Scams & Lies

David Ames was a twice-bankrupt double-glazing salesman from Basildon with dreams of building a Caribbean property empire. His company, Harlequin, promised ordinary investors luxury resort properties at bargain prices – their slice of paradise and financial security.Over nearly a decade, more than 8,000 people handed over £400 million. Many bet their entire pension pots on Ames' vision.But behind Ames’ slick marketing pitch lay financial chaos and systematic deception. While investors waited for dream properties, their money funded pirate ships, imported sand that washed away with the tide, and eye-watering sales commissions.From a local newspaper investigation that exposed the scheme to the S...