Edmonds Marshall McMahon is a unique firm of solicitors and barristers, and we are experts in conducting fraud prosecutions. We commonly advise on investment frauds, which are presented to victims as a way to “get-rich-quick”. Investment fraud happens when a broker cold calls an unsuspecting victim and promises a high return on an investment they want the victim to make. In reality, the investment is worthless or overpriced and, once a victim invests, the broker will vanish with their investment. We have significant experience in ensuring that victims of this kind of fraud are financially compensated and that defendants are denied the proceeds of their crime.
Investment fraud is part of a wider crisis in the UK. In January 2021, the Royal United Services Institute (“RUSI”), a defence and security think tank, published a paper explaining that fraud in the UK has reached epidemic levels. According to this paper, fraud is the “volume crime of our time”. Notwithstanding increased media attention on the issue, the UK government’s fraud response continues to fail individuals and businesses. Budget cuts to the police and Crown Prosecution Service have limited the prioritisation of fraud, even as reports continue to rise. This state of affairs is at the heart of Edmond Marshall McMahon’s mission – as private prosecutors, we specialise in providing fraud victims with access to justice.
We understand that this kind of fraud may cause embarrassment to victims, leading them to batten down the hatches and not report crimes. Crucially, however, private prosecutions can have a significant deterrent effect on fraudsters who target would-be investors, some of whom may be particularly trusting and vulnerable. Bringing a private prosecution sends a clear message to potential fraudsters – that individuals and companies will take decisive action to route them out.
Whatever the fraud, please talk to us (free of charge) so we can advise you on what is possible. As specialist prosecutors, we have the knowledge and resources that could make the difference between your recovering some, or indeed all, of your money.
