Customer fears estate agents £55,000 fraud

A fraud investigation has been launched into a suspected scam at an  estate agents which a customer fears has wiped out her life savings.

The first-time buyer fears she has lost the £55,000 she had put away for her children’s future.
West Midlands Police confirmed today officers were investigating two suspected frauds concerning the former Bairstow Eves Countrywide office in Darlington Street, which was being run independently by director Dalvinder Pannu and employee Manjit Gill.
The mother-of-two said she made three payments totalling £55,000 to buy outright a house in Bate Street, Lanesfield, when the franchise was trading under the Bairstow Eves Countrywide name.
She had been offered the house at the reduced price in return for a quick sale, completed in 56 days.
The Wolverhampton College lecturer, who asked not to be named, said she was assured she would be reimbursed in full if the sale did not go through.
She lost out to a higher bidder but says today she is yet to receive a penny back, around a year later.
The 36-year-old said: “I went to Bairstow Eves in the belief I was dealing with a big organisation — I felt safe and felt secure with them, and I am absolutely distraught.
“I was not aware the company was a franchise — this was not some small backstreet estate agents.
“I was putting my trust into what I thought was a professional company.
“Manny Gill even insisted I paid the money into a Bairstow Eves account which reassured me.
“I had saved £30,000 of my own money over 15 years and the other £25,000 was borrowed from family members. I will have to pay that back.”
Bairstow Eves Countrywide has completed an internal investigation.
It found the franchisee had claimed bogus company Crown Repossessions was conducting the sale, when in fact Crown Mortgage Management Ltd was the seller.
Ms Pannu and Mr Gill are named in a letter to the complainant which states: “Our view is that you have been the unfortunate victim of a professional scam.
“You have, quite rightly, reported the incident to the police. We will of course co-operate fully.”


Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2010/12/01/police-probe-estate-agent-in-fraud-claim/#ixzz1A0SU26pj