Debt Collection

Tragic End for Career Conman Underlines Flaws in Fraud Prevention

In our line of work, we come across some colourful characters to say the very least. We all know the stereotypes about the shady circles debt collectors have to move in. Well, while we’re not always keen on the cliches, the truth is in the course of recovering debts, we do have to deal with a motley assortment of fraudsters, conmen, chancers and career criminals, all often operating under the guise of supposedly legitimate business interests.

What we certainly never do is feel any ill will towards anyone we attempt to collect money from. At the end of the day, it is a professional service we provide, to look after the interests of the small business owners, freelancers and contractors who come to us, often at their wits end, to try to get back money that is rightfully theirs. But whoever it is that owes the money, and whatever their reasons for not paying their debts, they are still people.

Footballer Slapped With Bankruptcy Order Over Gambling Debts

A former Premier League footballer who ran up huge gambling debts while struggling to pay his bills has been hit with extended bankruptcy restrictions.

Danny Guthrie, 35, who started his career at Liverpool before going on to play for Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and Reading in the Premier League, admitted breaking insolvency rules after borrowing £75,000 from a friend.

The loan was made in May 2019 to help Guthrie through some financial difficulties on the understanding that he was in the process of selling a property to raise capital. A promise was made to repay the loan after the sale went through.

Contractors Face Losses as Tax-Dodging Director Gets Laughable Ban

Contractors could end up footing the bill after a recruitment agency director who swindled HMRC out of millions in unpaid taxes received a paltry eight-year disqualification.

Adrian Sacco ran Manchester-based Best Employment Services (BES), an umbrella payroll company targeting high-earning contractors in IT, engineering and HR.

The 55-year-old, who company records show has been director of a string of liquidated or dissolved payroll agencies over the years, faced investigation by the Insolvency Service after BES was wound up in 2019 owing at least £4.1m in tax to HMRC.

Becker Bang to Rights for Bankruptcy Racket

Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker has been sentenced to two and a half years in jail for failing to disclose millions of pounds worth of assets in a high-profile bankruptcy swindle.

The tennis ace, 54, was found guilty on four charges at Southwark Crown Court on April 8 2022.

The case was brought in relation to Becker’s bankruptcy dating back to 2017. In June that year, he was declared bankrupt over failure to keep up with repayments on a £3.85m loan from German bank, Arbuthnot Latham.