Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Fraudster who targeted French producers jailed

43-year-old Dogan Arslan, a North London fraudster who targeted French producers has been sentenced to four and half years in prison for a £500,000 scam, which involved Arslan posing as a buyer for UK wine importers and major London hotels.

See Met news here.

Despite the curious spelling of some of the producers targeted congratulations to the Met and, in particular, the investigating officer Paul Cheadle.

The initial delivery address was often a Turkish supermarket in High Road, Tottenham, London N22, where the driver would be directed to a quiet side street where the wine would be unloaded.

However, producers need to continue to be on guard as these scams continue. I know Château de Chaintres (Saumur-Champigny) was conned last year.

Other Loire producers contacted by the fraudsters include Hubert Brochard of Chavignol (Sancerre). Fortunately they realised that the approach was fishy – no landline only a mobile and a hotmail email account – so didn't fall for the con.

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