By Jonty Banks

17th Apr, 2023 | 10:40am

BBC News reveal shows Leeds United used by crime group to recruit victims

Leeds United was used by a £1billion international crime group to recruit victims through a network of scam investment groups, according to a BBC News investigation.

The film focuses primarily on unravelling the criminal network behind over 100 scam brands, with almost every Premier League club implicated to some capacity in helping scammers rip off fans.

Taking to Twitter on Monday morning (17 April), Martin Calladine praised the “brilliant” investigation, which highlighted one Leeds fan who was taken for £341,000 within just seven days.

He tweeted: “Brilliant BBC investigation into a £1bn+ international crime group and its network of scam investment companies.

“Crucially, the companies used football clubs, Leeds and Sevilla among them, to recruit victims.”

Scary

The lack of stringent regulations and law enforcement around such scam companies is worrying, with many Premier League teams used to recruit victims.

It should become clear within hours if a scheme is a scam, and the fact that so many fans are being taken for their money is very worrying.

Premier League clubs such as Leeds will come out and say they acted as quickly as possible to stop the scam, but this isn’t really good enough once the damage is done.

Calladine goes on to say in a later Tweet that there is a “football-wide negligence” and a “deliberate turning of a blind eye” in relation to crime groups, and it is hard to disagree with this statement.

Football’s leading authorities to crack down on such issues within the game because it seems like more and more victims are being scammed every year.

Hopefully, the findings of the BBC investigation will help force through some much-needed change at the top of the tree.

In other Leeds United news, a months-long Whites transfer pursuit has now intensified for a sought-after Premier League prospect.