A gripping new Daily Mail podcast tells the extraordinary story of Jon Austin, an ‘old-school’ local news reporter who helped expose one of Britain’s biggest property frauds – endorsed by Liverpool FC, Phil Spencer and Pat Cash.
Thousands of investors ploughed their life savings and pensions into Harlequin Hotels and Resorts, which promised luxury Caribbean villas for as little as £1,000 down.
But behind the glossy brochures and star-studded promotional videos was David Ames, a twice-bankrupted Essex salesman who ran Harlequin solely on investor money.
While promising that external investment was incoming, Ames burned through cash on flights of fancy – spending £1 million on imported sand that simply washed away, building a pirate ship, and launching his own airline, Harlequin Air.
Harlequin’s celebrity backers were none the wiser. Phil Spencer recently revealed he too was a victim of Ames, losing ‘a large amount of money’ to the scheme.
On the latest episode of Heists, Scams and Lies: The Lost Caribbean Millions, reporters George Odling and Andy Jehring reveal how one determined local journalist exposed the £400 million fraud, despite facing legal threats and surveillance by private detectives.
More than 8,000 British buyers sank their hard-earned money into the failed Harlequin operation hoping to get a slice of paradise
David Ames, 73, the mastermind behind Harlequin, was jailed in 2022 after being convicted of defrauding investors who ploughed £398million into his schemes
How the Basildon Echo Exposed One of Britain’s Biggest Property Frauds
To stop worried investors from warning others online, David Ames enlisted Carter Ruck, a London law firm, to issue legal threats against anyone posting damaging information about Harlequin.
The tactic worked. For years, investors who suspected they’d been defrauded stayed silent, terrified of legal action.
In 2011, this veil of silence would finally be lifted when Basildon Echo reporter Jon Austin was contacted by an anonymous source with information about David Ames’s son, Matthew.
On the podcast, Jehring explained how Austin received a tip-off about an investment scheme operating from a converted barn on the outskirts of Basildon. The anonymous caller claimed it was an illegal Ponzi scheme.
Crime reporter Odling explained: ‘This was a small operation called Forestry for Life, a firm that deals in carbon credits.
‘The firm claimed to have bought thousands of acres of rainforest land to generate these credits, which would then be sold onto major companies keen to offset their carbon emissions.
‘People who put money into the scheme are promised long term returns on their investments.
‘The caller claimed the company was using celebrity endorsements to give an illusion of legitimacy.
‘James Middleton, brother of the future Princess of Wales, was its Business Development Manager. Former football icon, Jack Charlton, appeared in its promotional material.’
Like his father’s Harlequin scheme, Matthew Ames used high-profile names to lend credibility. These celebrities were unaware of the fraudulent practices.
Following his investigation into Forestry for Life, Austin published a four-page exposé revealing Matthew Ames, a former Harlequin employee, as a fraudster.
Police used the reporter’s work as evidence to secure a conviction, and Matthew Ames was jailed for more than three years.
After publication, another source contacted Austin asking him to investigate Matthew’s father, David Ames, and Harlequin.
Harlequin’s celebrity backers were none the wiser. Phil Spencer recently revealed he too was a victim of Ames, losing ‘a large amount of money’ to the fraud
A Harlequin property, not completed, in St Vincent in the Caribbean
Austin then went undercover at a Harlequin promotional event at London’s ExCeL Centre, posing as an investor.
His suspicions were raised when he was offered a luxury villa in St Lucia, worth up to £5 million, for a fraction of the price.
The reporter began contacting anyone he could find who believed they had been scammed by Harlequin.
Austin’s probing rattled Ames. The property tycoon deployed Carter Ruck to threaten the Basildon Echo.
The Ames family hired private investigators to tail Austin and watch the Basildon Echo offices, desperate to discover who his sources were.
‘But John and the mighty Basildon Echo carried on’, Jehring said.
‘They stared down Carter Ruck and ran their piece on Harlequin.
‘Their article set a number of things in motion, the main one being that it forced the Serious Fraud Office to reveal they too were investigating Ames.
‘It turned out Harlequin only had preliminary planning permission – an approval which meant very little.
‘Before construction could begin, they’d need environmental reports and other regulatory approvals.
‘Ames and his crew had sold thousands of houses worth millions in total… and they didn’t even have planning permission to build most of the properties.’
To hear the full story of the £400 million fraud you’ve likely never heard of, listen now to Heists, Scams and Lies: The Lost Caribbean Millions, wherever you get your podcasts.