# Scam alert: Cantwell International



## Pager (14 May 2009)

I started receiving research material from the UK about month ago, I never asked for it or requested it, at the time I didn’t think much of it and just binned it.

Yesterday I receive a phone call from Grenada in the Caribbean and this bloke introduces himself as a senior executive with Cantwell who would normally not contact potential clients (i must be special ), im thinking who the hell are you and ask how he got my number and details, im told its from a referral, I push harder to find out from whom and get the confidentiality spiel, anyway im already thinking scam, he is very friendly and trying to make out he’s a top notch 100% trustworthy type of a guy who is also very savvy when it comes to picking the next sure thing. 

The guy then goes on to say he has limited amount of shares available in a company called Pioneer exploration that trades in the US, stock code is PIEX, this company he tells me is about to receive a takeover shortly and the price is going to increase dramatically, by this time im 100% it’s a scam but decide to string the fella along for abit, anyway he wants to know how many I want to buy, “$25K, $30K or even $50K", im like no bloody way, he’s very pushy saying why don’t I just have a few as a gesture to prove his company’s value to me in future, maybe just $5K and I would still make a handsome profit ! As he’s sure this stock is about to go to the moon and in the long run I could make a fortune by taking there investment advise.

Anyway I eventually get fed up, say goodbye and hang up, I then do a search on Cantwell and find its black listed throughout the UK and Europe and the Grenadian government has never heard of them or has them registered in that country, so obviously this mob have milked Europe and the UK and are trying there luck here so thought I would post as a warning, not that anyone here would fall for such BS, also any suggestions as to who I can contact in Australia to tell the authorities here if they aren’t already aware of this scam as I have received more so called research.

And if in the last few weeks you have received research from the UK and your  as to why then your call isn’t far away , im also guessing they got my details somehow in Australia from some investment or trading product or seminar in recent years so others here may be on that same list.


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## awg (14 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*

was it a skype call ( with slight but noticeable delay), as in probably OS origin

or a local call


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## Pager (14 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*



awg said:


> was it a skype call ( with slight but noticeable delay), as in probably OS origin
> 
> or a local call




It was a normal call, no delay and the Guy was clear as a bell, said he was in Grenada  but could have been in the same street or city TBH.  

All the literature they sent me did come from the UK, although none of it has any of the normal company numbers (like in Aus we have ABN, various disclaimers etc) just has an email and phone contact, the phone number is Grenada though.

I found them listed on the 

FSA site in the UK, under unauthorised overseas firms operating in the UK.

http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Law/Alerts/overseas.shtml


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## Bushman (14 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*



Pager said:


> It was a normal call, no delay and the Guy was clear as a bell, said he was in Grenada  but could have been in the same street or city TBH.
> 
> All the literature they sent me did come from the UK, although none of it has any of the normal company numbers (like in Aus we have ABN, various disclaimers etc) just has an email and phone contact, the phone number is Grenada though.




They are on the FSA 'unauthorised overseas firms operating in the UK' list. The web-site is attached.

http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Law/Alerts/overseas.shtml

The warning from the FSA web-site is as follows: 

'Such firms are often involved in ‘boiler room’ activities and *pose a high degree of risk to consumers*. They frequently engage in tactics including *cold-calling members of the public offering shares that later turn out to be worthless or high risk*. The callers can be very persistent and extremely persuasive. If you are cold-called by an unauthorised overseas firm in relation to stocks or shares, you should be extremely careful. If you are contacted in such a manner, the FSA advises that you simply terminate the telephone call – the most effective protection against such unauthorised firms is to have nothing to do with them.'


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## Bushman (14 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*

They are also on ASIC list: 

http://www.fido.gov.au/coldcallerslist#C


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## Mr J (14 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*

Boiler Room (movie) was on last Monday evening.



> I then do a search on Cantwell and find its black listed




Would've been better to search while talking to him, and then question him about it. I would've gone further and tell him how his scam works.


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## finnsk (14 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*



Pager said:


> I started receiving research material from the UK about month ago, I never asked for it or requested it, at the time I didn’t think much of it and just binned it.
> 
> Yesterday I receive a phone call from Grenada in the Caribbean and this bloke introduces himself as a senior executive with Cantwell who would normally not contact potential clients (i must be special ), im thinking who the hell are you and ask how he got my number and details, im told its from a referral, I push harder to find out from whom and get the confidentiality spiel, anyway im already thinking scam, he is very friendly and trying to make out he’s a top notch 100% trustworthy type of a guy who is also very savvy when it comes to picking the next sure thing.



I got the same letters and phone call but I did not get so far into the conservation as you, did not realise where the phone call came from until I saw your post so thanks.


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## Porper (14 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*



Pager said:


> Pioneer exploration that trades in the US, stock code is PIEX, this company he tells me is about to receive a takeover shortly and the price is going to increase dramatically.





I can't see it on any market in the U.S. it isn't even listed on the over the counter market as far as I can see.


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## -Bevo- (14 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*

Yep complete scam had one contact me some years ago now, they were promoting a US stock to me also, I had a mate at work get involved in a overseas ponzi scheme once, I even referred him to ASIC who had warnings about the particular company yet he still believed it was legitimate he never saw a cent of his money again.

As for the stock PIEX (Pioneer exploration) it does exist post chart below, look at the volume or lack of, it might go to the moon if you try buy 50k worth of stock.


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## kam75 (15 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*

I've heard about this scam few years ago. Some old guy was conned like a hundred grand or so.  Who on earth would give money to a voice on the phone I have no idea, but its ridiculous what goes on.

Guess its not a lot different though to the self proclaimed stockmarket gurus and garbage sellers operating in Oz that promise to teach the gullible how to make a buck in the stockmarket...Usually for initial upfront fees of $5,000 or $7000.  After buying their courses and spending another few grand to find out their crap does not work, you're told that you are the problem and everybody else is doing great.... 

No sireee, thank you very much.


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## sagitar (15 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*

Try this (it's worked for me in the past) -  next time they say they're calling from overseas, ask them what the exact time it is in their country.  That usually stumps them....hehe. 

Always handy though if you've got the net beside you and you're able to confirm the time. 

cheers!


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## Garpal Gumnut (15 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*

Its a scam, 

Ask them to hold on and if you are cut off to call you back.

Do a job.

Feed the dog.

Have a root

Or otherwise keep yourself busy not necessarily in that order.

If they are still on line, repeat above.

gg


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## Naked shorts (15 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*

reminds me of

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPGjeAPrLog


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## kam75 (16 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*

Nah mate, try this next time:

Colleague who's a lawyer actually got a call like that and told them he will need a thousand bucks from them first, as a kind of 'good faith deposit' so they don't just nick off with his money.  Reckons they actually gave it to him!  And he nicked off with theirs.  Hahaha gotta hand it to those lawyers.


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## jono1887 (18 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*

Where do they even get your details from??


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## Pager (19 May 2009)

*Re: Scam alert, Cantwell International*



jono1887 said:


> Where do they even get your details from??





How many times when you buy anything or show interest in anything do people or business,s want or ask for your details ?, email address, phone number etc etc.

Your details in the wrong hands then become a saleable item, so i would imagine that scams like this buy the lists of people who may have attended a trading seminar, sought information, bought or invested in some trading/investment product were they were required or asked to give there contact details. 

Scamers are running a business so like all business they want to target a certain section of people who are more likely to be interested in buying there product or in this case more likily to be ripped off.


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## Letiz (22 May 2009)

I received the same approach from Cantwell and have received several documents about the American market over the past 6 weeks. The rep who called me in early May was "Timothy Anderson" and on the 7th of May on the second or third call he sent me a "Confirmation of Trade" order for 1000 Pioneer shares with payment instructions for "Dexia Bank" in Slovakia (after coming down from 20,000 as a starting point). They are pretty professional with the documents and calls etc and I will be having a short conversation with Timothy next time he calls and will use the line that "the bank refused to make the transfer" and see what the response is







Pager said:


> I started receiving research material from the UK about month ago, I never asked for it or requested it, at the time I didn’t think much of it and just binned it.
> 
> Yesterday I receive a phone call from Grenada in the Caribbean and this bloke introduces himself as a senior executive with Cantwell who would normally not contact potential clients (i must be special ), im thinking who the hell are you and ask how he got my number and details, im told its from a referral, I push harder to find out from whom and get the confidentiality spiel, anyway im already thinking scam, he is very friendly and trying to make out he’s a top notch 100% trustworthy type of a guy who is also very savvy when it comes to picking the next sure thing.
> 
> ...


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## -Bevo- (22 May 2009)

Letiz said:


> I received the same approach from Cantwell and have received several documents about the American market over the past 6 weeks. The rep who called me in early May was "Timothy Anderson" and on the 7th of May on the second or third call he sent me a "Confirmation of Trade" order for 1000 Pioneer shares with payment instructions for "Dexia Bank" in Slovakia (after coming down from 20,000 as a starting point). They are pretty professional with the documents and calls etc and I will be having a short conversation with Timothy next time he calls and will use the line that "the bank refused to make the transfer" and see what the response is




LOL yeah sent a fake Confirmation of trade, the stock has not traded any volume since I last posted, in May it did 400 shares on 4th and 2000 on the 11th, next time you speak to him ask which day he brought the stock or it should be on the Confirmation of Trade them ask him how that could happen if the stock never traded.


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## philski (28 May 2009)

I have a "confirmation of trade" for Cantwell International for 2,000 shares dated 19th May 2009 for $2.00 per share vs the current price of $2.40 ish.

Very glad I found this post on the forum.

I haven't checked out Cantwell properly yet but Pioneer Exploration is a non trading company. Its main expenses are staying listed on Nasdaq.
 I think Cantwell is the market maker in these shares, buys them cheaply and flogs them to investors and because they are the only player in these shares, they then effectively control the price.

The oil find is jointly owned/run by three companies Maxim resources who have just had their shares suspended in April! and Jasmine Oil who I think are the operator on the ground. The third is Macallan Gas and Oil which Pioneer have an interest in buying 125,000 shares. They don't have the cash to finish this transaction and will only get the cash by issuing shares! Whether this interest is worth anything like the share price is up for debate.

Would welcome any other comments/commentary on either Pioneer or Cantwell.

The "salesman" has phoned my house 3 times today even though he knows I'm at work. There is obviously a lot of pressure on him to sign me up. The spiel to me was different, I wasn't told about any takeover. They want me to regularly use them to buy stocks and Pioneer is just dipping my toe in the water. I wasn't allowed to buy more than $13k, not that I had the money or wanted to !

Phil


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## -Bevo- (28 May 2009)

Well PIEX is not listed on the Nasdaq its a over the counter stock.
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/otc.asp

Cantwell even though it might look legit it is very likely to be a Scam, 
my guess is the confirmation of trade is fake and any money sent will
never be recovered.

For more info on Scams 
http://www.fido.gov.au/fido/fido.nsf/byHeadline/Scams - protect yourself


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## Timmy (29 May 2009)

Good stuff everyone.  So its a pump and dump scheme, check out the movie "Boiler Room" for a (not very) fictionalised account of this sort of operation.  And its a good movie!


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## inenigma (14 June 2009)

I rarely if ever give my personal mobile number to any business on the net or trade shows.


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