Warning to all Subbies

Two years ago we had the displeasure of being contacted by a person insistent on selling services that might benefit subbies. As much as I would like to reveal his name, for the sake of the exercise, I will call him "Shyster".

He wanted to advertise on our website and use our logo next to his own in a "partnership" type arrangement.

He was quite the hustler but fortunately we recognised that before he ingratiated himself on us and infiltrated SubbiesUnited.

This week a subcontractor contacted me to ask my advice in regard to a small investment he made with Shyster.

I told him what I knew about this shyster and that I doubted he would ever see his money again.

The depths that some people will go to defraud people of their hard earned money never ceases to amaze me. Shyster is targeting subcontractors especially those that are vulnerable after a liquidation, he sees them as easy marks.

The subbie was a victim of a well known builder Liquidation a couple of years ago and had his name published in a Brisbane paper. As a result of that he was contacted by Shyster who went to work on him.

Shyster was trying to coerce the subbie to invest with him and to legitimise his bogus investment business, he told the subbie that a prominent Queensland Government Minister was a partner in the business.

The subbie made an error of judgment and invested a small amount of money in Shysters investment company. I still don't know what the investment is in nor do I care, I just know from my experience with him that its a con.

Shyster then went the next step where he has spent some time urging the subbie to setup a self managed super fund so that he could invest his super in the scam. Shyster is promising huge returns but there are very strict laws applied to self managed super funds.

Shyster has no conscience, ethics or decency. He is a narcissist, he cares only for himself.

We have referred what we know to the Qld Police Service who are interested and I can only assume their interest was heightened because Shyster is using the name of a Queensland Government Minister.

If you are contacted by Shyster, tell him you are not interested in his scams. If you have already invested, feel free to contact me and I will pass the details onto the Police who I am told are investigating this scammer.

My advice to Shyster, give the subbie his money back and any other subbies you have ripped off and get back into the hole you came out of.

I guess the moral of the story is that if it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true.