Heists, Scams & Lies

The Big Sell | Episode 1

A balmy evening in 2009. Steel drums, champagne, and celebrity endorsements. David Ames – a twice-bankrupt salesman from Essex – unveils his vision: Caribbean paradise resorts where ordinary people can own property for just £1,000. With backing from football legends, tennis stars, and property guru Phil Spencer, thousands of investors hand over life savings and pension pots. But who is David Ames? What experience does he have building international resorts? As money floods in and construction begins, the first cracks start appearing in paradise. Help shape the Crime Desk by taking our quick, listener survey [https://ex-plorsurvey.com/survey/selfserve/550/260205?list=104]. It takes just five minutes, and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher. Terms and conditions   * Open to UK residents aged 18 or over. * Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusive * The Promotion is free to enter by visiting [https://ex-plorsurvey.com/survey/selfserve/550/260205?list=104], completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address). * There will be one (1) winner. * The winner will win £50 Amazon Voucher * Amazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&Cs found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ [https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7CJames.Greenwood%40dailymail.co.uk%7C040ff26a20d6460353eb08dea05969f4%7C0f3a4c644dc54a768d4152d85ca158a5%7C0%7C0%7C639124503048937558%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OSLXMmfUZRIznR8DWKradmGGrI446IrRIQ9Ly9tXFHw%3D&reserved=0] * Full T&Cs apply, click here [https://ex-plorsurvey.com/survey/selfserve/550/260205/TandCs.pdf] to read them. Hosts: George Odling and Andy Jehring Series Producer: Ósk Pétursdóttir Sound Design: John Scott Executive Producer: Bella Soames Additional Production: Julia Webster If you have any information you’d like to share with us about Harlequin, please drop us a line at hsl@dailymail.co.uk [hsl@dailymail.co.uk] Join The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter [https://link.news.dailymail.co.uk/join/4w5/crime-desk-sign-up?utm_source=dailymail.co.uk&[%E2%80%A6]&utm_term=crime_newsletter_podcast&utm_budgetpot=organic]. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Introducing... The Lost Caribbean Millions

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 Serious Fraud Office's decade-long pursuit of justice, this is the story of how thousands lost everything betting on one man’s vision.  Featuring exclusive interviews with victims, investigators, and industry insiders, The Lost Caribbean Millions reveals the human cost of one of Britain's biggest investment frauds.  Join The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter [https://link.news.dailymail.co.uk/join/4w5/crime-desk-sign-up?utm_source=dailymail.co.uk&[%E2%80%A6]&utm_term=crime_newsletter_podcast&utm_budgetpot=organic]. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone's Diamonds | The Heist

In December 2019, international jewel thieves ransacked the home of Tamara Ecclestone and  stole £2million worth of loot in the biggest burglary in British history. The thieves took every piece of jewellery Ecclestone owned, snatched her husband’s watches and desecrated their £75million mansion on Kensington’s Billionaire’s Row. Who were the thieves? How did they do it? In this episode, reporters George Odling and Andy Jering hear from Tamara Ecclestone’s husband, Jay Rutland, and Detective Constable Andrew Payne of the Met Police’s elite Flying Squad – one of the first officers assigned to the case – as they begin their own hunt for Tamara Ecclestone’s missing diamonds.  If you think you might have some information, please, drop us a line. Please send any tips hsl@dailymail.co.uk [hsl@dailymail.co.uk]  New episodes released weekly. Don’t want to wait? Join The Crime Desk now and hear all episodes in the series as soon as it launches. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com [https://plus.thecrimedesk.com/]. Reporters: Andy Jehring and George Odling  Producer: Julia Webster Sound Design: Jarek Zaba and John Scott  Studio Manager: Sam Chisholm  Executive Producers: Jamie East and Bella Soames  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] Join The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter [https://link.news.dailymail.co.uk/join/4w5/crime-desk-sign-up?utm_source=dailymail.co.uk&[%E2%80%A6]&utm_term=crime_newsletter_podcast&utm_budgetpot=organic]. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Coming Soon... S1: The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone's Diamonds

Coming soon... Heists, Scams & Lies, Series 1: The Hunt For Tamara Ecclestone's Diamonds. It was supposed to be impenetrable. A palatial home on London’s Billionaires’ Row, guarded round-the-clock by ex-military security, in one of the most heavily-patrolled streets in the country. And yet, on a cold night in December 2019, a group of audacious thieves pulled off the perfect burglary, slipping inside the Kensington home of Formula 1 heiress, Tamara Ecclestone and vanishing into the night with an incredible £25 million in diamonds, cash, and jewellery. How? In this jaw-dropping investigation, Daily Mail reporters George Odling and Andy Jehring embark on a years-long hunt for answers—knocking on doors across Europe, chasing leads in Serbia’s criminal underworld, and uncovering a story far more complex than anyone had imagined. From luxury mansions to the shadowy depths of organised crime, Heists, Scams & Lies investigates the truth behind the biggest domestic burglary in British history to try and find out once and for all: where are Tamara Ecclestone’s missing diamonds? New episodes released weekly. Don’t want to wait? Join The Crime Desk now and hear all episodes in the series as soon as it launches. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com [https://plus.thecrimedesk.com/]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] Join The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com. Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter [https://link.news.dailymail.co.uk/join/4w5/crime-desk-sign-up?utm_source=dailymail.co.uk&[%E2%80%A6]&utm_term=crime_newsletter_podcast&utm_budgetpot=organic]. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.