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SKY SCAMMERS - By Nell Glynn
A CLEVER scam using company names like Easyjet and Virgin has been uncovered by the Spanish Sun Newspaper. People from the UK and Spain have been duped into paying money for flights that do not exist. The Company IBIS SOLUTIONS advertise that they can beat all prices for flights and hotel, otherwise they will pay for your holiday. And what looks like a very good offer does not even exist. One man lost over 2,300 pounds when he booked to take his family to South Africa, and another family left stranded in Australia.
One British man who was duped Louis Taberone told the Spanish Sun: “After seeing the advert, I wrote via e-mail and asked for a quote for a return flight to Gatwick, it was the best price I had seen so I asked to book it, I was sent a booking confirmation that looked as if it was from Easyjet, the company sent me their bank account details for me to pay which I did and thought no more of it. “When I arrived at the airport I went to the check in to be told that I was not booked on the flight, because of commitments I had to get back and ended up paying 170,00 euros for a one way ticket.” There was obviously no return flight ticket.
More Victims
Another person who booked a flight was Chrissie from the Paramount bar in La Cala, the ticket was a present for her son, once again there was no such flight. The Spanish Sun were contact by a lady in England called Caroline Noble, the MD of the popular travel company Ipodo, she told us how one family thought they were booking from them and actually managed to get on the plane to Australia with the booking sent form IBIS solutions, but weeks later upon arrival at the airport the staff realised that it was not a valid booking, and they were left stranded. She told us how she had contacted the UK police, but there is nothing they can do about it as the man behind IBIS solutions Robert Crisp, is based in Spain.
Easyjet Investigates
The Spanish Sun contacted Easyjet, and informed them of the scam, we sent copies of the booking forms and they said they would look into it. They are still investigating. After seeing an advert in a south African Newspaper another man Phil, paid Robert Crisp over 2,300 pounds for flights. After finding out he had been conned he has set about trying to find out the where bouts of the conman. Pretending to book flights, he asked Robert Crisp for a copy of his passport, and the passport belonging to the other director, and his address and bank details. Robert Crisp sent copies of passports that look as phoney as his flights and no doubt the faces here are of some poor unsuspecting men. The bank he is using is in La Manga, and the address that we have managed to acquire for him is also in La Manga. ABTA have also been informed of the skulduggery and are also investigating.
Beware
If you think you have a bargain flight make sure that it is a reputable company, and never use anyone who is using a hotmail account. Do you know Robert Crisp or his company IBIS solutions? Have you been conned? Call our news desk on 952 494 395 or email sunnews@idecnet.com
A CLEVER scam using company names like Easyjet and Virgin has been uncovered by the Spanish Sun Newspaper. People from the UK and Spain have been duped into paying money for flights that do not exist. The Company IBIS SOLUTIONS advertise that they can beat all prices for flights and hotel, otherwise they will pay for your holiday. And what looks like a very good offer does not even exist. One man lost over 2,300 pounds when he booked to take his family to South Africa, and another family left stranded in Australia.
One British man who was duped Louis Taberone told the Spanish Sun: “After seeing the advert, I wrote via e-mail and asked for a quote for a return flight to Gatwick, it was the best price I had seen so I asked to book it, I was sent a booking confirmation that looked as if it was from Easyjet, the company sent me their bank account details for me to pay which I did and thought no more of it. “When I arrived at the airport I went to the check in to be told that I was not booked on the flight, because of commitments I had to get back and ended up paying 170,00 euros for a one way ticket.” There was obviously no return flight ticket.
More Victims
Another person who booked a flight was Chrissie from the Paramount bar in La Cala, the ticket was a present for her son, once again there was no such flight. The Spanish Sun were contact by a lady in England called Caroline Noble, the MD of the popular travel company Ipodo, she told us how one family thought they were booking from them and actually managed to get on the plane to Australia with the booking sent form IBIS solutions, but weeks later upon arrival at the airport the staff realised that it was not a valid booking, and they were left stranded. She told us how she had contacted the UK police, but there is nothing they can do about it as the man behind IBIS solutions Robert Crisp, is based in Spain.
Easyjet Investigates
The Spanish Sun contacted Easyjet, and informed them of the scam, we sent copies of the booking forms and they said they would look into it. They are still investigating. After seeing an advert in a south African Newspaper another man Phil, paid Robert Crisp over 2,300 pounds for flights. After finding out he had been conned he has set about trying to find out the where bouts of the conman. Pretending to book flights, he asked Robert Crisp for a copy of his passport, and the passport belonging to the other director, and his address and bank details. Robert Crisp sent copies of passports that look as phoney as his flights and no doubt the faces here are of some poor unsuspecting men. The bank he is using is in La Manga, and the address that we have managed to acquire for him is also in La Manga. ABTA have also been informed of the skulduggery and are also investigating.
Beware
If you think you have a bargain flight make sure that it is a reputable company, and never use anyone who is using a hotmail account. Do you know Robert Crisp or his company IBIS solutions? Have you been conned? Call our news desk on 952 494 395 or email sunnews@idecnet.com
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Illegal tax bills contravened European Community Treaty
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Tax trap means thousands are owed money, plus up to 5 years of interest
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Does this affect you? Visit www.spanishtaxreclaim.co.uk to find out more or call the Spanish Tax Reclaim Helpline on 0845 680 3849.
Thousands of Britons who have sold a property in Spain between March 2004 and December 2006 could be owed a 20% tax rebate to the tune of £37 million - £11,000 each, including interest - as a result of a Spanish Government Capital Gains Tax (CGT) scam exposed today by Spanish lawyers, Costa, Alvarez, Manglano & Associates and currency exchange brokers HiFX.
British non residents who sold their Spanish properties during this period paid a Spanish Non Residents’ Income Tax rate of 35% on any capital gains, compared to a rate of 15% paid by Spanish nationals. This 20% overpayment not only totals a profit somewhere in the region of £37 million, but also contravenes European Community Treaty rules on discrimination and therefore was unduly charged by the Spanish Government.
Placing an actual figure on the amount of people affected by this is very difficult, as the Spanish Government understandably does not want to disclose this information. However, one of the UK’s leading currency specialists, HiFX, believes a conservative estimate is in the region of 4,500 British people, plus thousands more residents in other European countries, each paying an average of £14,000 each in capital gains, having sold property in Spain over the 3 year period. People who sold property previous to January 2004 have already missed out, as claims can only be made dating back over a four year period, meaning millions more have become victim to this tax trap.
HiFX, together with the Spanish lawyers are calling for British people to come forward and register their details to be part of what could be the biggest class action against the Spanish tax authorities for many years.
Commenting on the issue, Spanish Lawyer Emilio Alvarez said: “Anyone who has sold a Spanish property between March 2004 and December 2006 will have been victim to this inflated capital gains tax rate, which saw non residents scammed into paying inflated CGT bills by as much as 20%. This tax trap is thought to have affected hundreds of thousands of people across Europe and in the UK.
“A change in the law at the start of 2007, which saw the standard Capital Gains Tax for non residents being brought in line – a reduction from 35% to 15% , passed by largely unnoticed. As a result, thousands of people who had previously sold property in Spain are entitled to a 20% rebate, thought to average at £11,000 each including interest. Due to stringent legal restrictions people who bought at the end of 2003 have already missed out, as claimants must register within 4 years, but thousands of Brits can still join forces and fight to get the Spanish tax authorities to pay back the money owed.”
For more information, and details of how to register your interest, visit :
www.spanishtaxreclaim.co.ukor call the helpline on 0044 (0)845 680 3849
or email: info@spanishtaxreclaim.co.uk
ARE YOU THE FACE OF THE COSTA DEL SOL?
STARTING this edition the Spanish Sun Newspaper in conjunction with Euro Models, are running a competition for would be models.
During the coming months we are inviting our readers to send their photos in the hope that they could become “The Face Of The Costa Del Sol” and win thousands of Euros in prizes, including a three year modelling contract, a holiday, flights, vouchers to spend in local businesses and much more.
The competition will have two age groups: Age 12 – 15 years, and aged 16 plus.
So if you or someone you know has the potential to become the next supermodel, email your photograph along with your contact details to recruitment@eumodelmanagement.com
See next edition for our first entrants.
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