Mac said "Bring it on" - so we did.

[Rhys]

Lucy's story hit the streets a few minutes ago.

See it here

Wonder if Mac still thinks it is funny?

[DOOMIT]

Wow - cool

[Wanderer]

And the walls will come tumbling down........ Congrats to all involved in getting this story to print

[Wanderer]

any bets that the SSP will be closed within hours..

[IMASHAMED]

I will sleep so good tonight! Way to go! The Titanic is in crisis!



mac

[Kiss]

Great news!!! . . . couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of fellas!!!

[countrytec]

better archive that article

TOP STORY: HB man in probe over 'missing million'
23.09.2005


Lucy Craymer

Hastings police are investigating an American man living in Havelock North after they received complaints that more than $1 million in an international investment scheme has gone astray.

Macklin T Blackstone (also known as Ray Toler and Eric Toler) is believed to be behind IT4US - a website that investors from around the world are blaming for the possible loss of millions from 21,000 people.

IT4US operated an investment scheme and although initially interest payouts were made, investors claim they ceased five months ago.

Opotiki resident Rhys Bartle, who had friends affected through investing with the scheme, set up a website inviting aggrieved investors to register their losses.



The Serious Fraud Office requires a minimum of $500,000 of losses before an investigation can begin.

On September 12, $NZ1,016,353 of losses had been registered and all names had been forwarded to the Serious Fraud Office, Mr Bartle said.

Detective Senior Sergeant Sam Aberahama, of Hastings, said police had received four complaints about the scheme. They were now investigating it and were also in talks with the Serious Fraud Office.

"The Serious Fraud Office is investigating the case," he said, but the office refused to comment.

Mr Blackstone and his wife, Clare Sambrook, have not responded to repeated requests by Hawke's Bay Today for comment. Hawke's Bay Today has visited the Havelock North property where they live four times and yesterday was told Mr Blackstone had our contact details.

Gisborne man Ian Sambrook, who said he was not related to Clare, is a former board member of IT4US.

He is registered at the New Zealand Companies Office as the sole director of IT4US NZ Limited, IT NZ Limited and International Trading Corporation NZ Limited. He said all were non-trading companies, registered in case they were later needed for branding purposes.

Mr Sambrook said he resigned in March because he wanted to concentrate on his own company, a Gisborne computer business, which had begun to expand. He would not comment on what his role at the website was.

"When we try to explain it to anybody no-one wants to listen to us ... I was involved because I thought it was a good thing," he said.

He had invested his own money and was not concerned about not being paid out the promised returns.

On the IT4US internet website, a message posted by one of those behind the site confirmed the scheme was being investigated by New Zealand authorities.

The post added that payments were still being made but because some funds were in unbreakable investments, not all the payouts to investors could be made.

Investors tell of their plight

Many were living on low incomes and hoping for a better future when they stumbled on the Havelock North-based IT4US website and its promises of high returns and no risk.

Investors from all over the world have contacted Hawke's Bay Today by phone and e-mail wanting their stories told. They invested not only their life savings but their hopes for their future and now can't get hold of their money.

Toronto man Riz Yousufzai had dreamed about owning his own "big rig" and had saved $NZ17,989.80 towards that dream. Then he discovered the IT4US website and thought it was the answer to his prayers. He put all his money into it.

He suggested his girlfriend, sister and mother also invest - they sank another $NZ13,000 into the scheme.

They have not seen that money, nor any return on it and Mr Yousufzai has little hope that he will see it again.

Steve Youngblood's investment in the scheme was considerably more modest but had a significant impact on him.

Mr Youngblood, from Memphis, Tennessee, and his wife Debra are raising their grand-daughter, Alexi - Steve is a stay-at-home grandad while his wife works to support the trio. "I have to worry about Alexi's future. I am going to be 63 before she goes to college. Because my wife's job is disappearing I was trying to help bring in some extra money," he said.

"My wife goes to work at 7am and comes home at 6pm every day and sometimes brings work home. She never complains, never. I just wanted to help her," he said.

Mr Youngblood said his $NZ825.18 investment might seem small but it took him 30 weeks to save the money and he didn't think he'd get it back.

[Kiss]

Paul keeps trying to delete the threads . . . and editing the posts with the newspaper article in it!!!

But . . . there's no way he can hide this!!! . . . and what a bloody liar Ian is!!! . . . he resigned in March eh??? . . . what the hell was he doing at the BOD meetings in May then???

[FYIIT]

Their really scrambling now! And what a day for that news to break too! lol Just when they was trying to bring down the heavy hand on the posters at SSP!

[FYIIT]

Got Champaign?