I too am a victim of the Fortunaland investment. Everything Im reading is about EM. What is more to the point is not their validity, but how do we retrieve our investment. Whats the next move.
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I too am a victim of the Fortunaland investment. Everything Im reading is about EM. What is more to the point is not their validity, but how do we retrieve our investment. Whats the next move.
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are already representing clients victims of Fortunaland.
You may want to read our various blog posts on the matter or else the thread we’ve started in the general forum so those affected can contact each other and discuss the matter freely. You can also watch our updated videos as the case progresses.
You may want to contact us privately on the matter.
for about two weeks now, someone from european mediation is trying to get me pay their company a 10, % upfront fee for getting compensating from a boilerroom company called Portman West which operated from Frankfurt am Main Germany but according to EM was located in Spain. They refer to the crime compensation program from the European Union
(www.ec.europa.eu/civiljustice) which offers an indemnisation for
people in the EEC victims of crime. They propose to "bundle" a claim for at least 30 persons and to get compenstion in a time frame of 16 to 18 month. Does anyone else has purchases shares through Portman &West Financial Services which appear to be worthless and had been contacted by EM?
Dear Sir/Madam,
I draw your attention to post number 24 on this thread.
Because of its high interest we reproduce this article from This is Money.
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/money/...r-Garlick.html
We credit this information to an anonymous person who has fallen victim of Eurpean Mediation Limited and emailed us this link besides other sensitive information.
Thank you.
TONY HETHERINGTON: READERS' CHAMPION
Hetherington: Euopean Mediation scam | Boiler room boss jailed
8 February 2009
Every week, Tony Hetherington replies to readers' letters, adding comments, advice and the results of his enquiries.
If you think you are a victim of financial mismanagement, or want advice before investing, write to Tony Hetherington, Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS. Sorry, but he cannot give personal replies. Please only send copies of original documents, which, we regret, cannot be returned...
A.T. writes: I am writing to you about my shares in Carbug. I have been approached by a company called European Mediation Limited which says its legal team can recover my money from a European Union compensation fund set up to repay victims of fraud. However, I have been asked to pay ten per cent of the amount I lost in Carbug to cover legal fees.
Let's not beat about the bush saying that maybe European Mediation can somehow get back the money you paid for shares in security firm Carbug, even if you cannot quite see where the compensation will come from.
Instead, let's be blunt. Carbug was a scam. European Mediation is another scam. There is no EU fund to repay fraud victims. Your money has gone - but I suspect that you know this already.
European Mediation Limited was set up last August. Its sole director, who also doubles as company secretary, is Peter Francis Garlick, 65, who is described in Companies House records as a 'musical technician'. The fiddle perhaps?
Garlick's website boasts of 'our own in-house legal counsel' as well as an international network of specialist lawyers who will gather evidence, 'enforce legislation changes' and ensure that charges are filed. And as well as contacting victims of the Carbug share fraud, whose organiser Tony Rose was jailed for five years in 2006, Garlick's telephone sales staff have also been busy ringing up people who lost money through failed Spanish land company Fortuna Estates.
They even told one victim who lost money to an American firm in New Jersey that they could help him, though the US is some way outside the EU. And they have promised aid to investors who put their money into property after attending seminars run by the now collapsed Inside Track group, despite there being no allegation of fraud against it.
People contacted by European Mediation have been told that its head office is at Jaguar House, in Harthill Street, Manchester, so I went there to have a chat with Garlick about the impossible promises made by his staff.
The building, in Manchester's rundown rag-trade district, is home to several companies and is linked to local businessman Stephen Gilbey, who was briefly a director of European Mediation last year.
But there was no sign of Garlick and his company, let alone his sales staff and in-house counsel. They had moved to Rochdale, I was told.
So I followed them and found European Mediation's new address - a modest semi-detached house in Pearson Close, occupied only by a dog. Garlick, his sales staff and his in-house counsel were not at home.
I pushed a note through the door, asking him to call me, but he didn't. I also left messages on his company's three British phone numbers, but nobody called me back.
Perhaps they have all moved again, which might explain why some people say they were rung up from a Spanish phone number, despite the salesman's protests that he really was in Manchester or Rochdale. And those ten per cent fees certainly do go to Rochdale, to an account at HSBC Bank in Yorkshire Street. Or perhaps they move on too. Don't send a penny.
Doea anyone have a name or phone number for European Mediation Ltd. in Spain.
The company has now cropped up on Tony Hetherington's column in Money Mail.
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Standard Report on - EUROPEAN MEDIATION LIMITED
CREDIT STATUS ANALYSIS
How to use this section
Net Monthly Credit Rating: £0
Maximum Credit Rating: As above.
Your Proposed Credit: -
Set/Change your Limit? You have not set your default Credit Limit. Set your default Credit Limit.
Your Proposed Credit Risk:
You have not set your proposed Credit Limit therefore we cannot accurately calculate your proposed Credit Risk.
SUMMARY
Registered Number: 06669400 Sales: -
Date Incorporated: 11 August 2008 Pre-Tax Profit/Loss: -
Date Latest Accounts: - Working Capital: -
Employees: - Net Assets: -
Risk Indicator: -
The company has been assigned a Credit Rating of £0. There is insufficient data to assign a current Credit Rating. A Risk Score is not available.
ALERT STATUS
You can monitor this company free and receive an instant alert by email in the event of:
Appointment of Liquidator/Receiver!
Winding Up Petition!
CCJ registered!
New accounts filed!
And More
To monitor click below. You can always remove a company from monitoring at any time.
BUSINESS INFORMATION
Legal Form: Private Limited
Previous Names: NONE
Registered Number: 06669400
Annual Return: -
Registered Office: 6 PEARSON CLOSE, MILNROW, ROCHDALE OL16 3UL Map
Telephone Number: -
Auditors: -
Bankers: -
SIC Code and Operations: -
Parent Company: -
Ultimate Parent: -
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS
DIRECTORS
Director CHRISTOPHER J WHITHAM Check this Director. Shows full history of other business directorships. Reveals failed companies and uncovers ‘phoenix’ companies newly incorporated to continue trading after the collapse of a previous company. Personal Details. Reveals personal credit status, Voters Roll, CCJs, bankruptcy, linked addresses, and any adverse records in relation to running non-incorporated businesses.
Address 394 EDENFIELD ROAD CUTGATE ROCHDALE LANCS OL12 7PD
Secretary PETER F GARLICK Check this Director. Shows full history of other business directorships. Reveals failed companies and uncovers ‘phoenix’ companies newly incorporated to continue trading after the collapse of a previous company. Personal Details. Reveals personal credit status, Voters Roll, CCJs, bankruptcy, linked addresses, and any adverse records in relation to running non-incorporated businesses.
Address 6 PEARSON CLOSE MILNROW ROCHDALE LANCS OL16 3UL
Secretary CHRISTOPHER J WHITHAM Check this Director. Shows full history of other business directorships. Reveals failed companies and uncovers ‘phoenix’ companies newly incorporated to continue trading after the collapse of a previous company. Personal Details. Reveals personal credit status, Voters Roll, CCJs, bankruptcy, linked addresses, and any adverse records in relation to running non-incorporated businesses.
Address 394 EDENFIELD ROAD CUTGATE ROCHDALE LANCS OL12 7PD
As posted on the Motley Fool, website. A hint for the gullible and stupid "the post I'm sure was created by the Alias PeterFGarlick and not Mr Peter F Garlick himself.
http://www.fool.co.uk/news/investing...ares-scam.aspx
PeterFGarlick 09 Feb 2009 , 1:11pm
I' am a victim of said:
European Mediation Ltd
72 New Bond Street
London, W15 1RR
and
Day Cooper Adams Ltd
4th Floor, 3 Tenterten Street
Hanover Square
London, W15 1TD
Both address are managed by a virtual office company called www.4business.com. Both address were opened with a passport copy belonging to Mr Peter Frances Garlick, The same Peter Garlick listed as sole Director and Company Secretary of European Mediation.
I have a copy of Mr Peter Francis Garlicks Passport which was used to set up the virtual offices with www.4business.com. This passport copy is available to anyone who is interested in it! It has a note requesting Mr Garlick to visit 4business with original copies of I.D for verification.
Please make this info public so that nobody makes the same mistakes I made.
And I would appreciate any suggestions or help in getting my money back or crushing this scum.
Below is a link to an article confirming the scam from The Evening Standard.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/co...in_author_id=5
* Report this message
PeterFGarlick 25 Feb 2009 , 12:43pm
EUROPEAN MEDIATION SCAM ARTISTS, PROVEN BOILER ROOM.
Have again used PETER FRANCIS GARLICK PASSPORT to set up www.glovistared.com.
Another bogus company designed to steel our money.
Pater Francis Garlick Passport #: 040519317
Date of Birth: April 1943
Place of Birth: LITTLEBOROUGH
ISSUE DATE: 16 SEPT 03
EXPIRY DATE: 16 SEPT 13
Whoever wants a copy of the passport post your European Mediation story here.
Below is a link confirming the European Mediation Fraud, Scam, Theft, Cheat in the U.K Newspapers.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/co...in_author_id=5
We are also victims of Inside Track and European Mediation. Unfortunately we did not do our homework early enough and have handed over our money. We are now trying to get our money back from the company which as we all know may not be at all possible.
Would appreciate any advice from anyone who can advise on getting our money back.
There must be something we can do to stop these bogus company from operating and preying on innocent people.
:mad:
We too have been a victim of both Inside Track and European Mediation. Unfortunately we did not do our homework in time and handed over our money.
Promptly afterwards Jessical Walker and anyone else to speak to about anything became unavailable, they report to be continually having problems with their telephone system, do not seem to be able to get it fixed.
They now want our passport numbers which really gave us the eebby jeebies and will not be entering into any contract with them.
We are now in the process of asking for our money back which we all know is not be forthcoming but we are still trying.
We would appeciate any advice from anyone in our situation on how we can put pressure on this company to give back monies they have taken off innocent people and how to bring them and other bogus companies like themselves to justice.
11 Mar 2009 14:58 in Government News Network news
Provisional liquidator appointed to European Mediation Ltd
INSOLVENCY SERVICE News Release (Coms/Ins/48) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 11 March 2009
The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform has presented a petition in the High Court to wind up European Mediation Limited in the public interest.
The company offers to assist victims of fraud to obtain compensation for their losses. The petition to wind up the company was presented following an investigation carried out by Companies Investigation Branch under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985 (as amended). The Official Receiver has been appointed as Provisional Liquidator of the company. The case is now subject to High Court action and no further information will be available until the petition is heard on 5 May 2009.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The registered office of European Mediation Limited is at 6 Pearson Close, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL16 3UL. The company was incorporated in August 2008.
2. The petition was presented under s124A of the Insolvency Act 1986. The Official Receiver was appointed as Provisional Liquidator of the company on 6 March 2009. The role of the Provisional Liquidator is to protect and preserve the assets and financial records of the company.
3. The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent.
4. The Insolvency Service carries out confidential enquiries on behalf of the Secretary for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform through Companies Investigation Branch. The Service also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession; deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures; assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees; provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds; and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.
5. All public enquiries concerning the affairs of the company should be made to: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit, PO Box 326, 17 - 21 Chorlton Street, Manchester, M60 3ZZ. Tele: 0161 934 4182 Email: piu.north@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk
6. Further information about the work of The Insolvency Service is available from http://www.insolvency.gov.uk
7. Media enquiries should be directed to: Lorna Dennis, Communications Manager, Insolvency Service, 21 Bloomsbury Street, London, WC1B 3QW. Telephone: 020 7637 6279, or Ade Daramy, Press Officer on 020 7596 6187.
UK efficiency at its highest degree, good.
this may be of interest . . .
http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news...ublic-interest
I always found it strange they did not come over to this forum to defend their good corporate name. I guess they must have known better.
An alarm bell always rings off when companies don't stand up to the boards to defend themselves from serious accusations.
But then again, there are other companies who are always overeager to threaten with libel in public forums when their name -or their newly crafted incarnation- are mentioned negatively, and justly so.
As we say in Spanish, mismos perros con distintos collares.
I was approached by European Mediation about the ( worthless) shares that I bought through the Emerging Equity Group. Fortunately I did not take up their offer to act for me. I now have been approached by a company called Mis-sold investments. They are based in Chertsey Surrey. As far as I can tell the website was created in March this year. I am very dubious about this outfit and will not proceed unless I can get more comfort- has anybody else been contacted by them or have any more info about them?
European mediation is a well known scam company based in Fuengirola spain
Hi Simon
Did you get any further ? I am in a similar position having invested via IAP.
Might be good to catch up
My wife and I have had several cold calls in the evening .Another major Scam firm is Glovista red they are now suspended by The Ministry Of Justice, because they are the same Mangement and staff /team from Day Cooper Adams ltd who also lost their licence from the MOJ and have been now closed down.Beware they are using different trading names to continue to fool the MOJ and continue to rip off and scam more victims with financial claims,timeshare resales,rentals and more based in the costa del sol ,fuengirola (Spain) .Any victims stories post here to help others.If You have been ripped off call the MOJ they will help you get your money back ,Do it Now before it is to late.
J Bennett ,Norwich.
Has anyone had any dealings with the above company? They are based in Lincoln. The manager is a Chris Lloyd. They are offering to recover monies paid by me to a "Cashback" operation. However I have to pay 15% of the possible recovery up front to cover the costs of a Tracing agency called Conflict International. I just wonder if I am throwing more money away.
Hi - has anyone been contacted by litimed.com? I have just been contacted by this company tonight and upon doing some further research on the internet have come accross this forum thread and everything on it is exactly as litimed were describing to me on the telephone. Is this the same company just reinvented under a different name?
We too have just been contacted by Litimed and are asking questions as it all seems too good to be true. Patter is identical to European Mediation except that we are being told that "Instant Access and Inside Track have been denounced for Fraud and Misselling which allows us to claim any payments made direct to them from a European Fund. 10% upfront into an Escrow Account, (refunded if case is successful) - All cases thus far have been successful using European Fund set up from the sale of assets of Fraudulent companies. 8% charge for handling case."
Mr. Terry White sounds very convincing and plausible but we are asking questions about the Act/Legislation under which we can make our claim, the License Number of the Escrow Company and where he got our details from? It will be interesting to see the reply. We do not believe this is a bona fide company and say BEWARE.
Dear Sir or Madam
I hadn't heard the "claim-from-the-European-Compensation-Fund" sales patter since I replied to this thread in 2008 on the now defunct UK company "European Mediation".
I refer you to my posts, number 5 and 24, on this very thread.
The EU Directive which is often (mis) quoted is 97/9.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/...7L0009:EN:HTML
This applies to, as the definitions within the Directive clearly state, to:
i) "investment firms" as defined by Directive 93/22/EEC
ii) or as "credited institutios" as defined by Directive 93/22/EEC
Not meaning to be pedantic or bore you to tears, basically the gist of the matter is that said investment institutions must be registered within the appropriate competent Investment Authorities within each EU Member State so its investors are eligible to opt for the protection of this European Investment Compensation Fund scheme.
In Spain that job falls on the CNMV (which stands for Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores). This is Spain's equivalent to our FSA.
A company set up with the purpose of misleading and profiting from gullible would-be-investors at no time would submit a detailed dossier to the CNMV (relevant Financial Authority for Spain) which will weed out and monitor them to ensure all the following is met:
1. The investment firm has sufficient initial financial resources for the proposed activities; (Spain has its own legal provisions on the minum capital requirements to be met dependant on the investment activity)
2. The persons directing the business have sufficient professional integrity and experience; (meaning those with Criminal Records need not apply)
3. Holders of qualifying participations are suitable persons.
So if I haven't bored you to death already and you are still with me, the bottom line of all the above is that murky fly-by-night investment schemes would rather stay out of the spot light of Spain's financial regulatory watchdog, CNMV, and will therefore be unegistered to operate in Spain in which case their fianancially mislead victims would fall out of the protection offered by the European Investment-Compensation scheme.
I.e. Fortuna Land victims would not qualify.
You do well in asking how they obtained your personal contact details as well as your full investment details. This is the key to suss out this type of companies. This sensitive information is protected by Spain's Data Protection Act. How did details held by a company that mislead investors end in the possession of another company (broadly speaking) which may now be cold-calling you out-of-the-blue offering legal services? Ex-employees? Buying & selling these "hot" data bases? Alarm bells anyone?
Please read my article which describes a certain modus operandi we've witnessed over the last decade:
Public Warning.-Scammers passing themselves off as Spanish lawyers and law firms - 13th March 2009
And to close, these people are charming top salesmen (and women, fairly attractive ones may I add) having prepared plausible replies to each and every question you'll make because they've been thoroughly trained; you won't ever catch them off guard. In fact, I'm fairly sure that if they phoned me I would fall for their sales patter and invest in Kazachastan as it's likely to be the next "hotspot". Or you can always play it safe and follow octopus Paul's advise whom I've now heard is branching out to give qualified investment advice. He does have a spotless trackrecord to show for it, mind you. Pitty he won't make it till the next World Cup.
Sincerely
Raymundo LarraÃ*n Nesbitt
We have been speaking to George Gebhard of Conflict International and he too asked for 15% cash up front on a supposed water tight case for a property in Spain. Presumably Toby and George are the same person???
I have been dealing with Gebhard for around 2 years and 8 months by phone
and emails which i have several the last email was this week 07/10/10 i paid
him up front to fight our case with our holiday club he is a very arrogant man
and if he thinks you are getting the better of him which i think i have done
he will tell you all kinds of stories and the last email on the 7/10 he told me
he would not reply to my emails anymore and has treatend me with a letter
from his barrister (some joke)my reply to him was good i will look forward
to that.if anyone wants to know more please reply
matty
Would be interested to hear from you about this
Not sure if you can send me a private message
I am new to forum and don't seem to be able to send any yet
Thanks Mojo
Hi to all,
I came across this very informative Forum quite by chance whilst searching the Internet.I live in Spain and have been ripped off like so many contributors to these threads.
My own problems are of a different nature to most(landgrab),however I have enjoyed my fourteen years in Spain and still think its a great country to live in.
The main problems are brought about by unscrupulous British "estate agents",and sadly some Spanish promoter/builders of the same ilk.The trick is to spot them before they spot you.
I intend to unveil a few of them,the British ones anyway,on this forum.I spend quite a bit of my time now getting my own back by researching and uncovering these scam artists in the hope that it will prevent at least some of you from falling into their clutches.
Lets have a look at Mr Gebhard for a kick off.
Highly dubious individual with a background in failing to supply audited accounts to Companies House the Inland Revenue and the VAT authorities.
Note he is a director of EUROPEAN MEDIATION SERVICES in particular.
Toby Gebhard.
Director of the following limited liability companies,and their current status.
Camelot Marketing (UK) LimitedDissolved.
European Mediation Services LimitedProposal to strike off.
Probate Solutions Worldwide Wills & Trusts LimitedProposal to strike off.
Probate Solutions Executors & Trustees LimitedProposal to strike off.
Wills & Trusts Incorporating Carehome Solutions LimitedDormant Company.
Claims Management Solutions UK LimitedProposal to strike off.
We were robbed of £1,500 by "European Mediation" in 2008 (previous name : "Inventory Solutions UK"; After being scammed for £15,000 by "Club Class Holidays" in Tenerife in 2002. Has anyone been able to get their money back from these crooks ???
Does anyone know the whereabouts of Toby Gebhard.
we would very much like to speak to him and his mate Robert Bailey
Thank you so much for posting such informative messages as I have nearly instructed this company to act on my behalf with a dispute over a property in Italy.
Are there any satisified customers out there??
somebody posted his number and new company - i have mislaid it - please repost
A bit worried to read these comments, but glad I found this forum before making any decisions. Mr Gebahrd was recommended to me by a neighbour on the same development as me in Cyprus. Everyone on the site is currently at logger heads with the developer (Alpha Panareti), without going into detail we are all fighting to get compensation.
I have had an initial chat with Mr Gebhard and he seems to understand the law in Cyprus and came up with a view on where we stand. As yet I have not paid any fee for advice received. My neighbour advised that Mr Gabahrd has travelled to Cyprus and met with the developer to outline what legal case they have. Although as yet there is no resolution, but the fact that he has met the developer suggests he is at least doing something constructive.
I would be interested to hear anyone's view on cases handled by Mr Gebhard. On the face of it he does seem to know what he is doing and in the case of my neighbour has actually met with the developer and started legal process.
Also if anyone has used anyone else to provide a similar service, especially if it is in Cyprus? I am slightly sceptical of all these anonymous posts on this forum as it smacks a bit of a personal vendetta, so I would especially like any advice from a registered user of the forum. if you have specific advice or comment then would be keen to here.
Hi Brian
This is my first post and I'm choosing to remain anonymous until I have hopefully managed to get my money back but thats neither here nor there. Follow this trail if you will:
http://bladegroupsl.distractsonline.co.uk/property-dispute-resolution/about
Here Toby is listed as a consultant. You will see at the top right that Blade Dispute Resolutions is connected with both The Blade Group and Capital Wealth Management.
If you look here:
http://www.globalinvestoralerts.com/public_html/capital_wealth_management.shtml
and here
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Law/Alerts/overseas.shtml#c
you will be able to note that the FSA is suitably convinced there is something not quite right. Personally I would stay away but obviously that’s your perogative.
To the Unregistered post before Brian - Capital Wealth Management the company mentioned above is were you will find Rob Baillie (company number 07535390 type into Companies House)
I am not a crook and am getting sick and tired of the acusations on this site.
Like every sucesful busnesman, I have had my share of sucesses and failures.
Duncan Balantyne has been to jail, Richard Branson has been bankrupt yet now they have ver sucesful busnesses.
If you have a problem with me, dont post on here and come and see me face to face.
you'd better be waving a white flag as I am not intimidated eazily.
TG
He is now using the name george gephard and still taking peoples money
Thanks for the advise. I was literally about to appoint Blade to sort out my issue in Spain.
Does anyone have any more stories about him/his company and anyone have any advise on lawyers you can trust to sort property disputes out? I am now going back to square one to try to find a decent company who can win my case.
We have read this forum with interest.
We see that some of you have been victims of parting with substantial amounts of money and getting nothing in return. PROBATE SOLUTIONS WORLDWIDE WILLS & TRUSTS LIMITED has been wound up in the Court following the presentation of a Winding Up Petition by The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
We represent another creditor that would like the affairs of the directors investigated. You can contact us by email at pf@chardwallis.com. We can obviously advise you further on receipt of communications. We won't charge you a penny unlike some of the companies mentioned on here.
Handy Toby Gebhard links:
http://www.levelbusiness.com/doc/person/uk/13158205
https://www.jordanwatch.co.uk/report...irNo=D13158205
another link for Toby George Gebhard is http://www.bladedisputeresolution.com/fees bottom right of the page is his mobile number that's printed for all to see, why not give him a call