Three men sentenced for scamming 41 UK victims out of £6 million via fake wine investments.

Three men—Ben Cazaly, Greg Assemakis, and Dominic D’Sa—were sentenced to prison for running a wine investment scam that defrauded 41 UK victims of £6 million. Operating through Imperial Wine & Spirits Merchant Ltd from 2008 to 2018, the company targeted vulnerable individuals, including pensioners, using cold calls, luxury hospitality, and misleading marketing to sell fine Bordeaux wines at inflated prices. Though some wine was real and stored in bonded warehouses, many victims received nothing. The company processed £37 million in transactions, with over half of victims’ funds lost. Evidence seized during a 2018 raid included sales scripts, call recordings, and a wall sign stating “no means yes.” Authorities called the fraud emotionally and financially devastating and urged victims to report scams to Citizens Advice.