International Crooks Using Latics Lure

[oafc_lover]

OLDHAM Athletic Football Club has unwittingly found itself at the heart of an international scam.

 

The League One outfit has been used as a lure by fraudsters who are preying on young foreign players desperate to sign up for English clubs.

 

Essentially, the bogus agents claim to have fixed the players up with a trial at Boundary Park and then ask for money for things like medical insurance in advance.

 

Alan Hardy, chief executive of the Latics, told the Advertiser the scam was unearthed after staff became increasingly concerned at the number of emails they were receiving asking to confirm details of trial dates and travel arrangements.

 

Mr Hardy said: "We’ve had players from Australia, North Africa and America contact us after being asked for money from people posing as FIFA-registered football agents. The kids were told a trial had been agreed with us, that we would cover flight and accommodation costs, and all they needed to do was send £650 to the ‘agent’ for ‘medical insurance’."

 

Needless to say, the money is then pocketed by the conmen who subsequently disappear.

 

Mr Hardy said: "These people are using money transfer companies, have ‘pay-as-you-go’ mobile phones and use hotmail email addresses – all of which are very difficult to track down. Fortunately, we’ve not yet had a footballer turn up unannounced. One had paid money out but a couple of others decided to check everything with us first. This is a very easy scam to get conned by. We don’t charge a footballer to have trials if we invite them but, unless you have official confirmation from the club on letterheaded notepaper, or via email, then it’s a swindle."

 

Oldham Athletic is not the only club to have been targeted and – along with Swansea City – immediately notified the Football Association.

 

So incensed was Mr Hardy, however, that he rang the mobile phone of one of the conmen.

 

"I had copies of an email he sent to one player and it had his number on it," he said. "The man who answered had a North African accent and I initially pretended to be a footballer looking to set up a trial. He promised to help but said he first needed £250 up front. He was using the name and address of a genuine agent from the FIFA list. When I then told him I was actually the chief executive of Oldham Athletic, he hung up immediately. This is such a cruel crime. For a young lad to believe he’s coming to England to play at a professional football club, and then lose all his money, is despicable."

 

An FA spokesman confirmed the scam was under investigation.

 

He said: "It appears to work around promising trials to young players with various clubs and then asking for payment in advance to cover ‘insurance and travel’. Once the money is sent, no more is heard. Anyone who is a victim should contact the police."

 

[BigfinLatic]

I have to say, there is a bit of me that thinks... let them turn up and see if they are any good...

 

... I also have an image of the next headline being something around it found out to be Oldhams actuall official scouting network and Mr Hardy is just covering face...

 

.. Hang on, perhaps that is how we ended up with Dabo?

 

The Trurth will out...