Advertisement
6 February 2007
POLICE PROBE £200K FOOTIE FRAUD BOSS
Exclusive by Cara Page
FRAUD police are hunting a £200,000 conman who ripped off Scots football clubs.


They want to speak to businessman Ben Stevens whose firm sponsor Dundee and Raith Rovers.


Stevens, 34, has disappeared from his home in Kirkcaldy, Fife, after taking £200,000 from footballers and businessmen.


The Signatures4U Ltd director even took £100,000 from his own business partner. He also took £30,000 from a former Dundee player for a false property deal.


And he left players and supporters at Raith out of pocket after taking cash for a club dinner and sporting memorabilia.


Last night, former business partner Craig Stewart, 32, said he called in police after being stung.


He said: "I've personally lost £100,000. This guy has just disappeared off the face of the Earth with my money and a £20,000 van.


"He's ripped off footballers, solicitors, DJs and businessmen.


"I considered him a friend and rented a house to him and he's screwed me over. He was very plausible and I'm embarrassed to have been associated with him."


Stevens set up sports memorabilia company Signatures4U with financial backer Stewart in January last year.


The Kirkcaldy-based internet company sells signed memorabilia including football shirts and boxing gloves.


In June, the firm secured the shirt sponsor deal with Dundee's chief executive Dave MacKinnon.


In addition to the £60,000 Dens Park deal, the firm also agreed a £6000 deal to sponsor Raith Rovers shirts.But yesterday it emerged that Stevens used the firm to gain the trust of footballers and senior management at both clubs.


He conned one ex-Dundee player out of £30,000 for a property deal.


But he failed to convince MacKinnon and manager Alex Rae, a former Rangers star, to invest in a "get-rich-quick" property scheme.


Stevens vanished from the home he rented from Stewart in Kirkcaldy around eight weeks ago. He owed four months' rent.


Stewart has reported the firm's new £20,000 Mercedes missing to police. He said a number of suspicious credit card transactions are also being investigated by the Royal Bank of Scotland.


He told the Record he was a "silent partner", not involved in running the day-to-day business.


It is understood he became suspicious after being tipped off that his partner was using a false name.


He also discovered company cheques had been cashed without his knowledge at cheque-cashing service Cash Generators.


Stewart resigned as a director of the firm in December after alerting police and has now set up his own Signatures 4U Scotland. Stewart added: "I'm trying to keep the people who work here in ajob and pick up the pieces.


"I have personally honoured the sponsorship deals with both clubs and will sponsor Dundee for the next season.


"There were Raith Rovers players he had taken hundreds of pounds from for memorabilia then never gave them the goods, and I have honoured that.


"A lot of people have lost a lot of money, possibly hundreds of thousands of pounds, and I've lost alot of money.


"The police told me he used a false name and is also wanted by police in England."


Dundee's MacKinnon confirmed:


"The shirt sponsorship deal had been honoured and has been extended to next season.


"Craig has had problems with his business partner but our association with him is a good one and we are happy as a club to continue business with him."


A club source said: "Ben Stevens approached Dave MacKinnon and the manager for money for a get-rich-quick property scheme.


"They became concerned and alerted Craig Stewart. A former player handed over £30,000 of his personal money."


Three businesses who gave Stevens around £2500 for three tables at a Raith Rovers dinner have also spoken to fraud officers.


The money was supposed to be deposited in a Raith Rovers bank.


Raith commercial manager John Drysdale said: "We became suspicious when a couple of the sponsorship cheques Ben Stevens gave us bounced.


"He did speak to a lot of people with a sob story about how he had a scheme to make money but just needed investment.


"No one gave him the money, so I think we got off lightly."


An Edinburgh publican also gave him £14,000 which he promised to double in a week.


The businessman said: The next day his phone just rang out and I've not been able to get him since."


A spokeswoman for Fife police said: "We are investigating a major fraud involving a company from the Central Fife area."


Print Close

Eh ?

A Guy robbed money from Dundee & Raith, and his former business partner will honour the money.

Where's the problem ?

Raith fans should be more concerned with their ever increasing wage bill.

dodgy part of KDY that - full of crooks and con-men.....

"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in"

Dear dear guys, if it's money scandals and jailed chairmen then look no further than your own front door.

I think our bad times are behind us, now we have a new and honest board in place. As for the cheques that bounced we will just have to live with that.
As for the back of the shirt sponsor money it is safe.
What was i reading on P&B last week about bookies and two clubs. I think you need to look closer to home.

RaithRovers1 - why don't YOU look a bit closer to home - Like on a Raith Rovers forum? What is it with these KDY fuds clogging up our site with their whyning??

We've been quiet until this was posted.

Any stories about 1980's directors and holidays in the sun at the F*fe's expense would be greatly appreciated.

DO YOU NOT MEAN WHINING OR IS IT WHYNING IN MEFIL.
It is past your bed time wee boy. Night night

The lonely boys are back.

Should it not be I rather than i, in your last but one post RR1? Or did you not learn about the word I along lino way?

Can't believe I am doing this, but I will actually defend the wraith muppets right to reply to this one. If someone posts stuff for about the lino lickers here, then they shoud be able to come and defend their club/explain the clubs actions...

Apart from that, they should bugger off to their own site IMO...

i