A complex wine investment scam which cost 41 victims from across the UK a combined £6m has been uncovered by Hertfordshire Trading Standards, resulting in the three main perpetrators being convicted of fraud.
Imperial Wine & Spirits Merchant Ltd, previously trading as Imperial Wines of London Ltd, assured potential investors that the company would buy and sell fine wines such as Chateau Mouton Rothschild on their behalf, and wouldn’t pocket any of the profits until customers had seen a return on their investment. In practice, the initial prices paid were given such a high mark-up – sometimes more than 400% – that the wines were never likely to increase in value enough to pay off.
The company was founded by Ben Cazaly (42) in 2008, who claimed it would be a legitimate, family-run investment house in fine wine with offices in the City of London, Paris and Hong Kong, and with personal suppliers in the chateaux and vineyards of Bordeaux.
The slogan ‘No means Yes’ was written on the wall of the company’s call centre (image credit: Hertfordshire Trading Standards)
Along with accomplices Greg Assemakis (39) and Dominic D’Sa (45), Cazaly ran a call centre where young people were employed to target elderly and vulnerable people with dishonest and high-pressure sales tactics. The scammers also printed glossy brochures containing the logos of the Daily Telegraph and Financial Times without authorisation.
When Officers from Hertfordshire Trading Standards, supported by the National Trading Standards (NTS) Tri Regional Investigations Team, raided the company’s London offices in November 2018 they saw the slogan ‘No means Yes’ scrawled on the wall, as well as seizing a wealth of evidence, including sales call recordings, sales scripts, commission sheets and complaint letters from customers.
During the trial at St Albans Crown Court the jury were played recordings of calls to prospective customers, including one in which a salesperson repeatedly asked an obviously vulnerable and confused woman for her payment details despite her not knowing what a payment card was or who she banked with.
Councillor Ajanta Hilton, Executive Member for Community Safety at Hertfordshire County Council, commented: “The stories of those targeted with this investment scam are devastating. Not only have they lost hard-earned life savings, but the emotional impact this scam has had on them and their family members has been significant. I’d like to thank them for their bravery in telling their stories so that these callous criminals could be brought to justice.”
Trish Burls, Chair of the National Trading Standards Tri Regional Investigations Team, said: “Victims in this case lost thousands of pounds through a coordinated scam of lies, deceit and manipulation. The criminals exploited people’s passion and enthusiasm, preying on them to invest while stripping many of their life savings and causing significant emotional distress.
“I hope today’s outcome provides some solace for the victims and families involved. If you suspect you or someone you know might have been targeted by a scam like this, you should report it to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.”
On 5 August at St Albans Crown Court Cazaly, Assemakis and D’Sa were convicted of fraudulent trading offences. Sentencing will take place on 24 October 2025.
