Heists, Scams & Lies: The Billion Dollar Honey Trap

The Indian nation is up in arms. One of their national banks has been scammed out of $1.8billion dollars. Mehul Choksi, the man Prime Minister Modi suspects as the mastermind behind the plot, is living it up on the island paradise of Antigua.Having secured Antiguan citizenship just months before the banking scandal was discovered, Mehul Choksi is safe from the clutches of the Indian government.But for how long? Because shortly after numerous extradition attempts have failed, a beautiful Hungarian woman arrives in Antigua and befriends Choksi.Heists, Scams and Lies is an original podcast by The Crime Desk.Reported and presented by Andy Jehring & Tom KellyWritten and Produced by Sally McLennan & Artemis IrvineExecutive Producers are Bella Soames and Emma ShawEditing and Sound Design by John ScottNew episodes of Heists, Scams & Lies: The Billion Dollar Honey Trap are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.Take advantage of a 7-day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.comJoin The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the diamond drenched streets of Surat along India’s western coast, is a young man with a vision. Mehul Choksi is part of a trusted family business with a reputation for producing stunning gems. But when Choksi’s father dies, Choksi decides he can do more.Over the next few decades he builds. And builds. Until he’s created a billion dollar diamond empire the likes of which India has never seen.But is it all down to hard graft? Or did Choksi find other means to grow his exponential wealth?Because in 2018, a banking scandal shakes the entire nation, and Choksi is right at the heart of it.Heists, Scams and Lies is an original podcast by The Crime Desk.Reported and presented by Andy Jehring & Tom KellyWritten and Produced by Sally McLennan & Artemis IrvineExecutive Producers are Bella Soames and Emma ShawEditing and Sound Design by John ScottHead of Audio is Jamie EastNew episodes of Heists, Scams & Lies: The Billion Dollar Honey Trap are released weekly, however you can join The Crime Desk to hear all episodes straight away - along with exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series.Take advantage of a 7-day free trial and become a member today at thecrimedesk.comJoin The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Indian diamond tycoon Mehul Choksi had it all. A billion dollar empire. Businesses all over the world. And now a retirement home in Antigua. Life was simply paradise. But one day, that bubble was burst, and Choksi’s life would never be the same again…Heists, Scams & Lies: The Billion Dollar Honey Trap tells the wild story of an alleged kidnap. Of when billionaire businessman Mehul Choksi was purportedly lured by a beautiful woman into an ambush. One that, he says, saw him abducted from Antigua, beaten, bound and gagged, and spirited away in the dead of night to the island of Dominica.Not for a ransom. But because he’d made an enemy out of the wrong guy…It’s Bollywood meets Bond, a scandalous romp involving revenge, geopolitics, billion dollar diamonds and a devilishly alluring woman. A story that, for now at least, ends in the bowels of a Belgium prison.Join The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After David Ames's conviction, the hosts receive an unexpected message from his son Dan, insisting his father is innocent. Soon after, they find themselves sitting in Carol Ames's bungalow, listening to the convicted fraudster's wife defend him. As Carol dismisses every piece of evidence that convinced the jury, a troubling question emerges: Is this elaborate denial, or does the Ames family genuinely believe their own version of events? Meanwhile, thousands of victims still face the consequences of sinking their hard-earned money into the failed Harlequin operation; many of them elderly people who invested their pension pots.If you have any information you’d like to share with us about Harlequin, please drop us a line at [email protected] Help shape the Crime Desk by taking our quick, listener survey. It takes just five minutes, and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher.Terms and conditions Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusiveThe Promotion is free to enter by visiting, completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address).There will be one (1) winner.The winner will win £50 Amazon VoucherAmazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&Cs found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Full T&Cs apply, click here to read them.Hosts: George Odling and Andy JehringSeries Producer: Ósk PétursdóttirSound design: John ScottExecutive producer: Bella SoamesAdditional production: Julia WebsterJoin The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After years of selling Caribbean dreams, David Ames's empire finally crumbles. This episode exposes the network of independent financial advisors who earned millions in commissions for pushing Harlequin properties onto unsuspecting investors. Over 8,000 people lost nearly £400 million, with many elderly victims seeing their pensions vanish overnight.In 2017, the Serious Fraud Office charged Ames with fraud. After a dramatic 3 month trial, the jury in David Ames’ case returns… If you have any information you’d like to share with us about Harlequin, please drop us a line at [email protected] Hosts: George Odling and Andy JehringSeries Producer: Ósk PétursdóttirSound Design: John ScottExecutive Producer: Bella SoamesAdditional Production: Julia WebsterJoin The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Desperate investors fly to the Caribbean, only to find a building site. When some speak out online, expensive London lawyers send threatening letters. Behind closed doors, disgruntled former employees tip off the Serious Fraud Office. Investigator John McCarroll begins asking the critical question: is Harlequin a struggling business or something far more sinister? As expert advisors deliver their devastating assessment, David Ames faces a choice that will determine the fate of the thousands who trusted him with everything they had. Will he listen?If you have any information you’d like to share with us about Harlequin, please drop us a line at [email protected] Hosts: George Odling and Andy JehringSeries Producer: Ósk PétursdóttirSound Design: John ScottExecutive Producer: Bella SoamesAdditional Production: Julia WebsterJoin The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s 2008 and business is booming at Harlequin. But Ames is spending investor money at an alarming rate – on pirate ships, imported sand, even plans for a private airline. Meanwhile, construction at Buccament Bay is spiralling into chaos. Builders vanish with millions. Accountants and contractors become suspiciously close friends. When Ames finally visits the site, he's shocked by what he finds. Back in Britain, investors discover their promised properties are still empty plots of land, years past their completion dates. Then expert advisors arrive to examine Harlequin's finances… If you have any information you’d like to share with us about Harlequin, please drop us a line at [email protected] Hosts: George Odling and Andy JehringSeries Producer: Ósk PétursdóttirSound Design: John ScottExecutive Producer: Bella SoamesAdditional Production: Julia WebsterJoin The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A balmy evening in 2009. Steel drums, champagne, and celebrity endorsements. David Ames – a twice-bankrupt salesman from Essex – unveils his vision: Caribbean paradise resorts where ordinary people can own property for just £1,000. With backing from football legends, tennis stars, and property guru Phil Spencer, thousands of investors hand over life savings and pension pots. But who is David Ames? What experience does he have building international resorts? As money floods in and construction begins, the first cracks start appearing in paradise.Hosts: George Odling and Andy JehringSeries Producer: Ósk PétursdóttirSound Design: John ScottExecutive Producer: Bella SoamesAdditional Production: Julia WebsterIf you have any information you’d like to share with us about Harlequin, please drop us a line at [email protected] The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Ames was a twice-bankrupt double-glazing salesman from Basildon with dreams of building a Caribbean property empire. His company, Harlequin, promised ordinary investors luxury resort properties at bargain prices – their slice of paradise and financial security.Over nearly a decade, more than 8,000 people handed over £400 million. Many bet their entire pension pots on Ames' vision.But behind Ames’ slick marketing pitch lay financial chaos and systematic deception. While investors waited for dream properties, their money funded pirate ships, imported sand that washed away with the tide, and eye-watering sales commissions.From a local newspaper investigation that exposed the scheme to the Serious Fraud Office's decade-long pursuit of justice, this is the story of how thousands lost everything betting on one man’s vision. Featuring exclusive interviews with victims, investigators, and industry insiders, The Lost Caribbean Millions reveals the human cost of one of Britain's biggest investment frauds. Join The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In December 2019, international jewel thieves ransacked the home of Tamara Ecclestone and  stole £2million worth of loot in the biggest burglary in British history. The thieves took every piece of jewellery Ecclestone owned, snatched her husband’s watches and desecrated their £75million mansion on Kensington’s Billionaire’s Row.Who were the thieves? How did they do it? In this episode, reporters George Odling and Andy Jering hear from Tamara Ecclestone’s husband, Jay Rutland, and Detective Constable Andrew Payne of the Met Police’s elite Flying Squad – one of the first officers assigned to the case – as they begin their own hunt for Tamara Ecclestone’s missing diamonds. If you think you might have some information, please, drop us a line. Please send any tips [email protected] New episodes released weekly. Don’t want to wait? Join The Crime Desk now and hear all episodes in the series as soon as it launches. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Reporters: Andy Jehring and George Odling Producer: Julia WebsterSound Design: Jarek Zaba and John Scott Studio Manager: Sam Chisholm Executive Producers: Jamie East and Bella Soames  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesJoin The Crime Desk now get early access to new seasons of Heists, Scams & Lies before anyone else. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new true crime shows. Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.