The Trustworks....?

[Hercule Parrot]

UK readers will probably be aware of "The Light" - a frothingly mentalist 'newspaper' sold in all bad outlets. They're into the whole "Jewish nanobots in covid vaccine, activated by 5G to turn us into Vatican slaves" stuff. Anyhoo, I was poking around their website (https://thelightpaper.co.uk) looking for mischief, and noticed an ad for "The Trustworks".

Clicking into their site (https://thetrustworks.co.uk) it's the old nonsense about Cestui Que Vie, berth certificates, promissory notes, affidavits, liens & maxims etc. But strikingly, it's aimed at people who have money and want to evade taxes, rather than the usual downtrodden masses. The only identifying info I can casually find is that ownership is claimed under the name of Gowan. Do we know any scammers who might be linked?

[TheRambler]

Clicking into their site (https://thetrustworks.co.uk) it's the old nonsense about Cestui Que Vie, berth certificates, promissory notes, affidavits, liens & maxims etc. But strikingly, it's aimed at people who have money and want to evade taxes, rather than the usual downtrodden masses. The only identifying info I can casually find is that ownership is claimed under the name of Gowan. Do we know any scammers who might be linked?

I do like the secrecy incorporated in the offering, even the text is "protected". But the 1st line of the Payment Terms is the usual giveaway that shouts "SCAM!!!!:

A fully completed NDA required before the start of any work; down load a copy from here

But of course you can't actually down load (sic) a copy. They\he hasn't got round to that bit yet.

TheRambler

[longdog]

Even the NDA is subject to an NDA.

[Footloose52]

Phone number is identical to that given at https://www.no-vaxx.org/contact/ and for Intelquest Ltd, a firm of private detectives.

[TheRambler]

Phone number is identical to that given at https://www.no-vaxx.org/contact/ and for Intelquest Ltd, a firm of private detectives.

And the principal features in a number of pop-up and shut down one man bands.

TheRambler

[John Uskglass]

Intelquest had two incarnations, both dissolved.
https://find-and-update.company-inform ... y/13156347
https://find-and-update.company-inform ... 5/officers

Sole Director was one Karol Balicki, who appears to make a habit of being a director of short lived companies.

https://find-and-update.company-informa ... pointments

I don't know what made me think of this Guardian article...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... tors-fraud

ETA - cross posted!

[wserra]

Do we know any scammers who might be linked?

Well, one office links to them: GKG North London Notary, whose principal appears to be one Gopal Krishan (sic) Gupta. They write on their "Private Trusts" page that "GKG Notary London now work (sic) with a GB based bespoke Trust and Will writing service" - none other than our friends The Trustworks. They promise that "Mr Gupta MBE Notary, will over see the Trust creation" - well, if he "oversees" what Trustworks does, then he's a scammer too.

A final amusing point - they write "Another important point to remember is, a Trust for probate avoidance, is a lawful, irrevocable, separate legal entity (Harwood vs. Tracy, 118 MA 631)". A few things about this claim. First of all, that's a U.S. case, whose relevance to anything about UK law is not immediately apparent. Second, the cite is wrong - it should be "118 MO 631" - a state court case from Missouri, not Massachusetts ("MA"). Guess they're not very anxious for anyone to find it; in any event, even in the U.S., it would only apply in a single state. Third, it dates from 1893, and is thus 130 years old. Fourth, the case actually says that a county court in Missouri has no power to appoint a trustee. Period. So the next time ""Mr Gupta MBE Notary" is facing a situation in which a Missouri county judge appoints a trustee out of the blue, perhaps this case will be of some use - assuming that the law hasn't changed in 130 years.

Either these scammers are idiots or they believe their customers are idiots - or, of course, both.

[longdog]

"Mr Gupta MBE Notary" has a similar ring to the "Rev Dr Barrister Rt Hon Sir Stephens Paul PhD, VC, MP (bart)" names the Nigerian scammers use. I assume the MBE is imaginary.

[Footloose52]

The MBE is genuine - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/3176905

He was the founder of Gupta and Partners however it seems he has been a naughty boy since getting his MBE and is now listed by the Law Society as non-practising - https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/solic ... 99.article

[longdog]

I am indebted to m'learned friend.

[wserra]

it seems he has been a naughty boy since getting his MBE

Actually, from the LS article it appears that he was a naughty boy before he received the MBE, but was disciplined for it afterwards.

Good to see how thoroughly they investigate potential MBEs.

[TheRambler]

it seems he has been a naughty boy since getting his MBE

Actually, from the LS article it appears that he was a naughty boy before he received the MBE, but was disciplined for it afterwards.

Good to see how thoroughly they investigate potential MBEs.

You may wish to acquaint yourself with the case of Michael Eke who wrote his own recommendations

https://metro.co.uk/2006/11/30/fraudst ... be-422777/

He only got found out because he was caught thieving and the bones tumbled out of the cupboard.

TheRambler