We are slowly getting to the bottom of this matter.
La Reserve Club appears to be the work of one Peter Mueller of 18 Valerian Court, Cambridge (Tel: 01954-789545). Mueller runs a property management company in Cambridge and also claims to be a resident of Germany.
I can find no trace of a registered company in the name of La Reserve Club. In fact the only real substance to this organisation seems to be a run-down property called the Oasis Holiday Apartments which Mueller claims belongs to his brother. It is believed that the property currently consists six apartments on a relatively small plot. How this can be expanded to a development of 30 luxury apartments as described on his site defies imagination. The location is unattractive and frankly, I doubt whether it would succeed even if it was offering US20 per night backpacker accommodation. The revenue claims on his website are simply outrageous - ANYWHERE on Tobago.
Mueller claims that his websites are not intended for public viewing and are under construction. So why have they been published to the Internet? He also claims that the project is only a proposal and that planning and other permissions have not yet been applied for. Too right!
I leave the reader to draw their own conclusions.
As investigation and action are still taking place, I will refrain from further detail at this time. However, if any readers have come across Peter Mueller in any guise, may I please ask them to contact me in the strictest of confidence at steve @myTobago.info (ignore anti-spam spaces in email address).
Steve Wooler myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
Thanks for the reader who sent me a link to http://m4siege.tripod.com/main/letters/antoine1406.htm
This page purports to show a letter from someone at the Oasis Holiday Apartments to the owner of the said property – one Paul Muller.
Take the page address back to its root, http://m4seige.tripod.com and we enter a world with a tragic central story. However it is difficult to extend sympathy because of the overpowering smell of bull droppings. Kidnappings, ransoms, death threats, Al Qaeda, crooked lawyers (well, there had to be at least a basis of truth, I guess), not to mention execution in British jails and the fact that our hero was busy saving the west from attack by Islamic Extremists and saving Tony Blair from execution. That’s when I lost all sympathy.
Somebody please give me a slap or chuck a bucket of water over me. Hopefully it will clear my head and allow me to come back to earth. Am I in a madhouse? Don’t answer that please.
Steve Wooler myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
When I did a Google search ... alot of worrying looking 'Mueller' and 'Muller's came up and it all seemed German ... see for yourself ... but the problem is that it is difficult to see the true links and you can only speculate on the connections ... he is probably Nigerian or Russian.
As I said earlier ... one look at his website and the way it's objectives are worded ... hmmm ... it's what is missing that counts ... this chap claims to support charities and the site refers to many reputable charities ... AND ... using the logos of these charities.
The UK address is probably false and this person is likely nowhere in the UK or anywhere that would take action against this type of business ... least not where the reputable charities can have any jurisdiction.
Nowhere did I see any indication that this individual has registered himself or a business he runs as a legitimate charity in the UK or anywhere else.
Until this chap can give verification of any credibility that his operations have ... he should be treated as a scammer ... I am happy to scam him back and make sure it costs him ...
... it's up to him to prove his authenticity ... and if he is authentic, then he can give us an explanation for his apalling PR skills !!
Regards
Paul Tallet Public Relations Consultant for Mother Nature
Steve
Have followed this thread but no input to give other than to say thank you. Think sometimes we "regulars" forget to express that simple sentiment.
In many ways, this case has very little to do with Tobago. The inaccurate information given on the website and the clear lack of knowledge/understanding of the tourism market on Tobago leads one to wonder whether the author has even been to the island.
This case involves two hugely misleading websites. The first site appears to be selling apartments and timeshare options in a GBP18million development that allegedly owns 11 subsidiary companies running a scuba diving school, restaurant, night club/casino, rainforest tours, sailing, a horse riding school, jet skis, deep sea fishing, golf tours, car rental and a flying school on Tobago. Property purchases start from as little as £175k with claims of an annual income upwards of £78k.
The second website appears to be promoting an auction of one of these apartments. The main focus of the ‘auction’ is that 80% of the proceeds will go to major charities.
These projects are apparently based on a small 6-apartment run-down guesthouse in an unattractive inland location. The property allegedly belongs to one Paul Muller. The websites are the work of his alleged brother, Peter Mueller – a gentleman who claims to be a resident of Germany despite the fact that public records prove that he lives in rented accommodation at 18 Valerian Court, Cambridge and various communications from him have been traced to a broadband connection on Tiscali’s Cambridge node.
Mueller/Muller has confirmed that the La Reserve Club project is purely at planning stage. No submissions have been made to the planning authorities in Trinidad & Tobago. In other words, the project appears to be non-existent other than on his websites.
Mueller/Muller claims that the websites are not for public viewing; that they are only for viewing by the planning authorities in T&T to show them what he envisages. I’m sorry to inform him that things don’t quite work that way.
He has failed to answer my question asking why, if the sites are not intended for public consumption, do they not include the correct instructions telling search engines not to index the site? As a result, the websites have been indexed and are available for public viewing. He must know that. So, if the website is a ‘closed’, why has he not password-protected the site? This would enable him to issue the relevant username/password only to those authorised to view the site. Failing all of this, why do the sites not carry large clear banner messages advising readers that the site only carry mock-ups for a proposed development and that realisation is some years off?
Mueller/Muller claims that the site does not say that the development is completed. Sorry, Mr Muller – once again I must say “it doesn’t work that way”. Your site gives the distinct impression that this development exists NOW. Yes, when one studies the wording one might notice the carefully crafted small print that put the question of completion in doubt, but nowhere does it clearly state that it is a planned development, not a finalised one. In that respect, your site is highly – even criminally - misleading.
I have traced some eight or nine websites or free web pages related to Mueller/Muller, most focussing on raising money for charity. I have serious reservation about whether any reputable charity would wish to be associated with these sites.
I offered Mueller/Muller the chance to remove the misleading websites and/or modify them to make the situation clear. It is true to say that he has removed a couple of the minor free pages. However, the main sites basically remain – subject to a few minor changes in an attempt to cover himself.
I refuse to have any further communication with this man. Frankly, it is pointless because I have difficulty believing a word that he says. He seems to believe that this is a conspiracy against him borne of jealousy because of the money he gives to charities. How much money DO you give to charity Mr Mueller/Muller? My research indicates not a lot, if any. He has claimed to one of our readers that because of the comments in the forum he has notified his 4,000 foreign investors that he might be withdrawing his proposed investment in Tobago. I applaud that. Anything that stops Cinnamon Hill and Tobago from becoming a refuge for 4,000 clearly brain-dead investors has got to be a positive result.
May I please be clear to Mr Muller/Muller. The comments in this forum have NOTHING to do with Tobago. Within reason, I encourage and welcome investment in Tobago. Having said that, I am not convinced that chucking several families of Tobagonians out of their home in order to tart the building up for sale to visitors is quite what I was thinking about. No, the issue here is not about investment – it is entirely about dishonest websites that intentionally or otherwise mislead the public – and particularly when they appear to be doing so by manipulating human emotions and appealing to our conscience with claims of raising money for charity.
The fact that Nigerian 419 Scam and similar 'offers' are still as numerous as ever proves that there are an awful lot of very stupid people out there only too ready to be parted from their money no matter how outrageous the proposal. With this in mind, you have a responsibility, Mr Muller, to make sure that your websites are very clear about your intentions and the state of play of your proposed development. You have declined the opportunity to rectify these mistakes. I can therefore only assume the worst and pass the evidence to the authorities and allow them to deal with the matter.
Steve Wooler myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
I´m one of them who has been writing to him, and some of his answer are really silly. But into his last e-mail I felt he did sound as a guy with a lot of common sence, but he at once did destroy that feeling!
I´d, as an example, made a comment about the location. telling him that I didn´t believe it was possible to charge more than 25-30USD for a high standad room, but he wanted upper class peoples, peoples from Hollywood and not the lower/middle class. But those who want an exclusive apartment they would never choose a place there!
His anwser for that was: "With regards to room values etc, this does not concern me, this is for others to worry themselves about". ??? Building a high class place but doesn´t worry for the room rates?
Sad, many things into his e-mail did sound very right but at same time he seems to lost the connection with the real reality. He seem to prefer to build up a dream reality, without any connections what so ever to the reality we all have to face.
Ronald wrote:Sad, many things into his e-mail did sound very right but at same time he seems to lost the connection with the real reality. He seem to prefer to build up a dream reality, without any connections what so ever to the reality we all have to face.
Hi Ronald
Looking at some of the ramblings on his website, I concluded that he was a classic 'Walter Mitty' character too.
If the dubious nature of his money-raising claims weren't so potentially ruinous for people who get sucked into the scams that he and others like him spin, it would indeed be sad.
But he's working on the basis that for very little effort and cost he could secure 'donations' totalling thousands of dollars and he's using peoples' generousity and lack of knowledge of Tobago as a lever for his own benefit. Perhaps the dream world is all part of the deception?
Cheers
Steve
Take only photos - leave only footprints. I like that concept.
I thought it about time that I provided an update on Paul Mueller/Paul Muller and the so-called La Reserve Club.
Although a few minor changes have been made to his website, the fundamental inaccuracies and fantasy remain. His ‘charity’ site has, however, been radically changed. Mention of all the large and well-respected UK charities that he claimed to support has been removed and he now limits his claimed support to unspecified charities in Sri Lanka, Mozambique, the West Indies and Central America.
I had contacted all the large UK-based charities mentioned on his site. Several admitted that they were aware of Mueller. For various reasons, I cannot discuss all I learnt. However, the results of my investigation sent cold shivers up my spine. Several charities told me they would be instructing their legal departments to contact Mueller and this is clearly what forced him to change his site.
I shall continue to post occasional updates here – if only to keep this topic high in the list so that readers see and become aware of this possible scam. If anyone has any further information about La Reserve Club or Paul Mueller, please contact me. Nobody wants Tobago's name being associated with this sort of financial scam - particularly when perpetrated by someone who, by his own admission to at least one 'enquirier' - has never been to Tobago.
Steve Wooler myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
Despite all the hard work that is evident on this forum and, no doubt, in other areas ... this (i choose my words carefully) extremely undesirable individual is going to rip a number of people off regardless.
No one is a winner in dealing with scum of this type ... whether you are the victim or the clever guy that catches him ... the worst he gets is escape and another identity ... it's simple ... he is a scammer ... problem is that you can't prosecute people until they have committed an offence ... this undesirable is trying hard to rip people off and unfortunately he will.
I have dealt with these people myself before and the best way you can deal with them is to waste their time and hope that they are not ripping others off while they are dealing with you ...
Bastards
(please accept my apologies for the inappropriate language)
Regards
Paul Tallet Public Relations Consultant for Mother Nature
Paul Tallet wrote:
I have dealt with these people myself before and the best way you can deal with them is to waste their time and hope that they are not ripping others off while they are dealing with you ...
Bastards
(please accept my apologies for the inappropriate language)
Inappropriate?
I think not.
Two friends of mine have been ripped off by a property developer living on the Isle of White, who's company were offering off-plan apartments in Eastern Europe.
They are out of pocket to the tune of £30k, without much prospect of recovering any of their very hard earned money, lured by the promise of 150% profit in just 3 years.
There could be as many as 40 other people in the same situation, including some who have 'invested' in another development in Goa. The scale of some of these very plausiable scams is mind-blowing.
Remember the old saying: If it sounds too good to be true - it probably is.
Take only photos - leave only footprints. I like that concept.
