PREVIEW: Scam City - Money, Mayhem and Maseratis, BBC Three
Award-winning journalist Mobeen Azhar investigates the story of Gurvin Singh, the 20 year-old medical student who one evening near Christmas, decided to hand out free cash to unsuspecting strangers in Plymouth Town Centre. Gurvin told the local paper that he was "giving back to the community" having made thousands of pounds through forex trading. But weeks later rumours were rife that Gurvin's trading claims were a scam.
Episode one With meme pages and social media profiles providing the clues, Mobeen discovers that Gurvin is at the centre of an alleged multimillion-pound scam.
Episode two Mobeen investigates the world of online forex trading, discovering a world where remarkably similar claims of success suggest that the story of Gurvin could be one of many. Having tried to make contact with Mr Gurvz - as he’s known online - Mobeen is blocked from his social media accounts and forced to turn to more traditional methods in hunting him down.
Episode three As Mobeen continues to immerse himself in the world of forex, he comes across a number of young traders who will stop at nothing to achieve financial success. What becomes clear is the thin line between believing in those dreams, and the dangers involved in risking everything to achieve them. With Instagram forex traders making it look so easy, Mobeen realises their wealth might have come through other means.
Meanwhile, a chance interview throws up more questions about the offshore activities of an established brand with offices right in the heart of London’s financial district.
Episode four The search for Gurvin nears its conclusion, as Mobeen exhausts every lead to take him within roads of his home address. As the links between the Bahamas and UK become ever more apparent, a visit to a lawyer specialising in forex fraud helps Mobeen realise how widespread the problem is.
With the words of a whistleblower still ringing in his ears, Mobeen prepares to confront the key players who he believes can reveal the truth behind the rumours swirling around Gurvin and the alleged multimillion-pound scam.
All episodes available from Monday 24th May on BBC Three.