‘MASTERSCAM’
MasterChef star Gregg ‘targeted’ by elderly couple who’ve spent up to £1m at plush London hotel, with cash from trail of furious investors
MASTERCHEF host Gregg Wallace has told how he was targeted by an elderly couple who have left a trail of angry investors hundreds of thousands of pounds out of pocket.
Businessman Harvey Langer, 85 and his wife Jane Lee, 76, convinced more than 40 people to hand over savings to fund their lifestyle. In return, they promised a share in a ‘£1bn-plus’ payout from a mysterious Swiss trust fund.
In five years the couple have spent up to £1m living in a plush four-star London hotel and eating at some of the city’s most exclusive restaurants – while ‘investors’, who handed over up to £270,000 each, have not yet seen a penny.
Now police fraud investigators are looking into a complaint about the couple made by a disgruntled backer. However Mr Langer, who admits his scheme ‘must look like a scam’, insists all is above board and says: ‘We’re not con artists.’
The couple say Ms Lee is due to inherit a fortune from her late father who she says was ‘a Singapore tobacco tycoon’, but in the meantime they asked for money
‘Our friendship ended after they asked for cash’
for living expenses, which have included spending five years living in two rooms in the £250-a-night Marriott Marble Arch.
Wallace was wined and dined at The Dorchester by the couple after they met in 2010, but the relationship soured when they asked for cash. The presenter said he initially found the couple ‘utterly charming’ and that he and his fiancée of the time, Heidi Brown, shared several meals with them at exclusive restaurants such as Le Gavroche in London and the Waterside Inn in Berkshire, southeast England.
Wallace said: ‘They were the most delightful couple. We got into conversation at Selfridge’s where I had a fruit and veg concession at the time. We had some really entertaining meals together, but after a while, I did begin to wonder how much of the stories were true.’
He even invited the Langers to his and Heidi’s wedding.
In return they offered him a luxury honeymoon with them in the Caribbean, travelling by private Gulfstream jet and on a 120ft yacht, ending at the exclusive Sandy Lane Hotel, Barbados.
Wallace recalled: ‘I said to Heidi that I didn’t really want to go on honeymoon with someone else, so we said “Thanks, but no thanks”. But then they phoned Heidi and said, “Look, you know we’ve got this money coming, we’re temporarily embarrassed at the moment could you lend us some?” I said, “No, I’m sorry, I think this would impact on our friendship in a really bad way.” At that point we stopped being friends.’
When told of concerns about the couple, 52-year-old Wallace – who has since divorced from Heidi, 35 – added: ‘If this is true, it’s awful.
‘Looking back, I think they were most certainly targeting me, although they never offered me any money. But maybe having me at these meals and social occasions was to add credibility to them.’
The couple told their ‘investors’ that blue-chip City firms were handling the transfer of funds, but when The Mail on Sunday contacted the companies they named, none had any trace of the pair.
One businessman revealed he had sunk his six-figure savings into the scheme and was promised more than £20m back. ‘I feel such a fool,’ he said. ‘When I first heard about it, my reaction was that, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I wish I’d stuck to that.’
The MoS spoke to four people who had put in sums ranging from a few thousand to over £100,000. All were embarrassed and angry and didn’t wish to be named. One hadn’t even told his wife. One said: ‘I’m 99.99% sure it is a scam, but I’d be lying if there wasn’t a tiny part of me that wants to believe I’ll be a multi-millionaire.’ Yesterday, the Langers said their fund would pay out. ‘Of course it’s a real trust,’ said Ms Lee, refusing to elaborate.
Mr Langer added: ‘I know it must sound like a scam, but honestly it’s not. I feel bad for investors, but they will all get their initial investments back on Monday and, within a month, their full payment – and the margins are enormous. We’re not con artists, I’m a respectable businessman with no criminal record. ’
The City of London Police confirmed the case has been reported to a fraud hotline.
‘They were most certainly targeting me’