I was sent something this week that really worries me…
Because it’s something that A LOT of people could fall for – me included.
You see this scam plays on an idea that most people believe could really work. In fact we’ve probably all read investors that have genuinely grown rich from this sort of deal. But in this instance, it will just leave you flat broke if you fall for it.
The scam that could lose you thousands
We’ve all read about property developers that have made absolute fortunes from buying up plots of land, building houses or flats, then selling the houses or flats for a vast profit.
I mean, this really happens. It’s not a flight of fancy; it’s a genuine way to make money. You know that, I know that… and so do the scamsters, who play on this to fleece their victims for thousands of pounds.
This scam is called ‘land banking’ and figures doing the rounds suggest it’s already fleeced victims for £200million.
Here’s what happens…
The conmen buy up plots of near worthless land. This land had no planning permission to build on, and will NEVER get planning permission, but the conmen keep that quiet.
What they do is create ‘artists impressions’ of a swanky new build of executive homes or flats, including glossy interiors, people holding glasses of wine on balconies, that sort of thing.
They then approach people (always cold calling) and present them with a chance to buy into the plot of land BEFORE the build takes place, on the promise that the plot will soar in value as soon as planning gets greenlighted.
But of course, planning NEVER gets granted, and the purchasers are left with a patch of land that’s near-worthless.
Take a real life example…
One company operating this scam bought a greenbelt site in Warwickshire. They paid a little over £6,500 an acre.
They then parceled the land up into smaller plots and showed people ‘the dream’… an expensive home or homes built on THEIR land. WOW!
After they’d drummed in how much this land could potentially be worth when the buildings were up, they sold these ‘parcel’ plots for anything between £100,000 and £300,000 an acre.
Of course, the buyers were never told that their land was for agricultural use only. The conmen paid £6,500 because that’s all it was worth, and all it would EVER be worth.
But the presentation is so slick that people are happy to hand over thousands to get one of the parcels. Because the POTENTIAL profits are so huge. And because people really want to believe it could work, they go along with it.
But planning permission is NEVER granted, and the victims are left with a scrub of land fit only for weeds, not houses.
The two companies that have been playing this scam are Land Strategy and Carlton Fairfax. So if you’re contacted by either of them, just hang up. Or better still, hold a loud klaxon horn to the phone and blast them in the ears, THEN hang up.
But of course, there could be other companies trying it on, so just be aware:
- If it sounds like a brilliant opportunity to make vast fortunes, it’s bound to be a lie. These opportunities just don’t exist. Yes, you can make a few thousand pounds if you put some effort in and follow something worthwhile. You can even make a lot of money if you stick at something and build it up. But making £120K or £140K in one hit, without having to do any work…? Forget it.
- Don’t be blinded by the bling… good conmen will be VERY persuasive. These guys had all the figures to hand, all the comparable price properties in each area they targeted, all the local housing shortage facts etc etc, plus a mock up of what the new builds would look like. Basically it looked like a done deal. But if you look past the facade, you’d soon realise it was all BS. One potential victim pressed them about planning permission, and when they kept glossing over the issue, he contacted the council direct. They told him ‘there’s no chance of us granting planning permission on that site’. He saved himself £11,000 in the process.
- Anything good involves work. If it’s a ‘How To’ system, it will ALWAYS involve work on your part. If it’s a tipping system, it will still involve a little work (you’ll have to do as the expert says) – and in both cases, the amounts will NEVER make you rich. I’ve seen a number of ideas that can make someone £100-£300 a week… and I’ve seen a few that have the potential to make someone £20K-£30K a year… but anything that says it’ll ‘Drop £100K into your account while you just sit around sipping cocktails’… just forget it.
- ALWAYS make sure there’s a money-back guarantee in black and white.
There are plenty of people operating scams, and it can be hard to distinguish what’s genuine and what’s not. That’s why you need to check out letters and websites like mine, because I do my best to root out the wrong uns. (Seriously, I’m offered around 5-6 services or products to promote a week – and 4-5 of them end up in the bin).
But there are some good, genuine services out there as well, including this one that’s causing a real stir…
This ALMOST didn’t make it to the light of day after its creator was beaten up for his secret…
I don’t usually come in here all guns blazing and tell you to do stuff. I might suggest a few things, or gently prod you to take a look at something or try a new idea out…
But rarely do I march in and tell you to drop everything to look at something right this minute.
But today I’m doing just that. Because there’s something going on right now that’s causing too much of a stir to ignore – and if you DON’T look at this today, you could be too late.
Why? Because only 350 of these were ever available, and I’ve been reliably informed that that number is dwindling every day as people wake up to this and scramble to get onboard.
If it looks familiar, well – I sent you a special email about this two Sundays ago. And a lot of you are already onboard. But if you missed that email, or overlooked it, or thought you’d get back to it later, then give this a proper look through and some proper thought NOW, because if you want in on this, you genuinely should get your skates on.
And just in case you need one last nudge…
Would you trust an accountant to know a profit when he sees one?
I’m okay with numbers, but to be honest I usually just dump bin liners of receipts and paperwork on my poor beleaguered accountant once a year – and leave quickly before I see him burst into tears.
But really, when it comes to income and understanding if something is profitable or not, an accountant is the person you’d turn to. Which is why this comment really leapt out at me…
“I was very impressed with the service. It provides quality information on a consistent basis & looks a sound addition to anyone’s portfolio.”
Dennis, Accountant
That might sound a bit dry, but Dennis deals with numbers and profit and income all the time – and he’s giving it the thumbs up.
But if you want a more down to earth overview of what this is about, take a look at this:
“If you want a simple, one-word adjective to sum this up, I would say ‘WOW’.”
Clive, Assistant Head Teacher
If you genuinely want someone to help you make an extra income, then you really should look into this. But do it NOW, because time is ticking away…