12 Years on from the start of investigations, the £27 million ‘Monster’ fraud case has ended with the convictions of 14 people

12 Years on from the start of investigations, the £27 million ‘Monster’ fraud case has ended with the convictions of 14 people

From initial evaluations by investigations business KwikChex in 2013, through a six-year investigation by the police, and four trials that have taken 2 years to conclude, this has to be considered one of the longest-running criminal cases in UK history – and it’s the tip of the iceberg. 

Last Friday, the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit confirmed that the final defendant in the ‘Operation Destin’ case had pleaded guilty to the offence of Money Laundering. It ended a prosecution process that started as a private sector investigation in 2013, before being taken up by the police in 2016. The arrests of 18 suspects took place in Spain and the UK in 2017, and charges were brought against them in 2022. The first trial (of seven of the accused) started in October 2023 and took a year to complete. Three more trials followed, and with those in the fourth and final trial entering guilty pleas, the prosecution came to an end, with the result that 14 people have been convicted. Three others have been found not guilty, and one passed away before his trial was to take place. 

79 charges were brought in total, related to fraud and money laundering offences. 

Sentences 

Three of the convicted are still to be sentenced. Of the other 11, the sentences have ranged between seven–and–a–half–years imprisonment to 12–months, with five receiving suspended sentences.

Background 

The case relates to multiple businesses which were centred around a holiday scheme, aptly called ‘Monster Credits’. The scheme, masterminded by Mark Richard Thomas Rowe, 54, primarily targeted timeshare owners, offering them release from their timeshares in exchange for a travel product that purportedly provided great deals and offered investment potential. But the scheme, which was operated principally out of offices in Bournemouth and Tenerife, was bogus almost in its entirety. The thousands of victims who invested ended up with worthless ‘travel credits’ and later discovered they still owned their original timeshares. 

Rowe and his employees told people they had tapped into a buoyant Russian market for timeshares, which would ensure that the timeshares owned by the victims could be sold, leaving them free to take holidays or actively trade their ‘Monster Credits’ within a dedicated exchange, which would see significant demand for the credits. It wasn’t long before cracks began to show, and complaints and suspicions began to arise, but the operation managed to run for years before finally crashing, following initial investigations by KwikChex and a determined effort by KwikChex founder Chris Emmins to have the authorities act. While waiting for the wheels of justice to start turning, KwikChex helped disrupt the fraud by publishing warnings, which led to Rowe instructing his lawyers to take defamation proceedings against KwikChex. These allegations were quickly and effectively rebuffed by KwikChex, which continued to pursue Rowe and his crooked team. After the police agreed to formally accept evidence from KwikChex in 2016, it has taken another nine years to finally try all the defendants.  

Further detriment and the tip of the iceberg 

Three principal companies were featured in the prosecution: Monster Travel, SellMyTimeshare.tv, and Complete Internet Solutions, a Seychelles-registered company that Rowe claimed was being operated by his Russian partners; however, no evidence of such partners has been found.  

But there were many other companies and websites within the Monster web, including ones that masqueraded as law firms, and at one stage, to try and give a legitimate veneer to his operations, Rowe even bought a controlling interest in a regulated Claims Management company, named Lansdown Financial, which he said would provide timeshare exit and claims services to Monster customers. Additionally, he bought a long-established timeshare advocacy brand organisation and used it to promote his businesses. 

As if all of this wasn’t bad enough, when the scheme came under pressure and victims started demanding their money back, he persuaded many of them that they could switch to a new scheme (for additional payment to invest), which he called ‘Staycation Lodges’, which was supposed to be a luxury holiday resort development in the UK. This too failed spectacularly, causing further losses.  KwikChex believes that many paid substantial sums for supposed legal services, other holiday schemes run under different brands, and to invest in the Staycation project, and that it is likely that the total amount lost by victims to the Rowe schemes may be closer to £50 million. 

The convicted 

Mark Rowe – seven-and-a-half-years imprisonment 

Nicola Rowe – wife of Mark Rowe – sentence TBC 

Paul Harrison – four-and-a-half-years imprisonment 

Simon Walker – four-and-a-half-years imprisonment 

Paul Salih – three-years imprisonment 

David Taylor – three-years imprisonment 

Joanne Physick – two-and-a-half-years imprisonment 

Lisa Salih – two-year suspended sentence, 10 days rehabilitation work 

Jodi Beard – two-year suspended sentence, 150 hours unpaid work 

Samantha McCaulay – 18-month suspended sentence, 100 hours unpaid work 

Joanne Taylor – 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, 15 days rehabilitation work 

Lee Evans – two-year suspended sentence, 150 hours unpaid work 

Barrie Fox – Sentence TBC 

Josephine Cuthill-Fox – Sentence TBC 

The how and why people fall for the timeshare-alternative ‘Holiday Dream Schemes’ – including other, even bigger examples – the detriment runs to hundreds of millions 

There have been many schemes similar to the Monster case. For example, the EZE Group case resulted in prison sentences for father and daughter, Dominic and Stephanie O’Reilly. KwikChex was again a provider of evidence in this case. 

Common features 

• Existing timeshare owners are the victims. 

• The owner victims have concerns about rising annual fees and having difficulty exiting their timeshares. 

• The victims are often told that when they die, the responsibility of the timeshares will be passed to their children, who will have to pay thousands in fees for the rest of their lives, too. 

• The schemes also promise more flexibility than timeshares with guaranteed exits. 

• Almost invariably, it is claimed that there is long-term financial value in the alternative schemes. 

• The schemes are said to include disposal of existing timeshares. 

• The owners are often approached at or near the holiday resorts where they are staying, and are already relaxed, and may be then wooed with promises of gifts, free holidays, and free drinks. 

• Many others are the subject of unsolicited contacts by email or cold-callers, and so are likely victims of data theft. 

• All too often, those targeted are vulnerable, of advanced years, and in many cases, suffering from serious illness – sometimes including the onset of clinically recognised dementia. 

Sales presentations are professional and compelling, addressing all the existing concerns of the timeshare owners. These presentations may last several hours. The reason the salespeople are knowledgeable is that they are almost invariably ex-timeshare salespeople themselves. 

Ongoing cases 

KwikChex is assisting timeshare owners in two notable, very large cases currently –  

• The Global Great Hotels & Restotel case 

Hundreds of timeshare owners have reported been sold a combined ‘real estate and holiday investment scheme’. Many have invested over £100,000, with some paying up to £700,000. These schemes were sold for several years, using a close association with ‘OnaGrup’ – one of Spain’s largest providers of tourist accommodation. Many sales were enabled by equity release loans from some of the largest UK financial institutions, including Halifax, Santander, Legal & General, and Leeds Building Society. It is believed there are thousands of victims, and that losses in this case alone are likely to exceed £200 million. For more information, visit the Global Great Hotels Help website https://globalgreathotels.help/  

• Seasons Holidays PLC 

This is an unusual case, as Seasons Holidays is a long-established timeshare and holiday rental business and is a member of the trade body the Resort Development Organisation (RDO). Nevertheless, the well-documented facts are that beginning in 2007, Seasons started persuading its long-term owners to convert from their traditional timeshares to a product they called ‘Keys’, which they stated was an amazing alternative to timeshare, which had the potential for making a profit after 16 years, or the alternative of 16 years further free holidays. As the 16-year term neared its end, Keys purchasers have been told that, in most cases, there will be little in the way of a cash return (and they could end up paying more money), and that the promised 16-year free holidays ‘rollover’ is no longer viable. The solution offered to many by Seasons has been to abandon their investment and pay Seasons another £10,000 for a new product. Understandably, this has caused extreme distress and Keys purchasers are claiming mis-selling and taking action. Seasons has banned and evicted (from their holiday accommodation) owners who have been critical, or have recorded or asked to record meetings with their sales representatives. See KwikChex article https://kwikchex.com/2025/09/brutal-timeshare-dictators-facing-owners-revolution/  

Warning about recovery fraud 

Timeshare detriment victims and owners concerned about their timeshare liabilities are frequently targeted by ‘Recovery Scammers’, who take thousands in bogus recovery and exit schemes – this is another multimillion-pound deception industry. KwikChex works closely with authorities and the media to help prevent such fraud and recover monies where possible. KwikChex has already assisted victims of the Monster case. The police and KwikChex are warning of the likelihood of large-scale Recovery Fraud attempts in the wake of publicity over the conclusion of the Monster case. 

One such business exposed by KwikChex is Muca Assesores – see Timeshare Assistance article https://timeshareassistance.com/warning-muca-asesores/  

Help for consumers 

For Trading Standards Approved assistance on the above, consumers can request help using the following. 

Please make contact by web form or email for the quickest response 

Email: info@kwikchex.com 

UK: 0044 (0)1823 510621
(Answerphone service, please request a call back if necessary) 

About KwikChex 

KwikChex (kwikchex.com) is a unique business that was founded in 2010.  

Since then, it has battled on behalf of both consumers and businesses committed to high standards. We go beyond any other online business – using expert investigation, verification and resolution services to achieve the results that both consumers and good businesses want.  

KwikChex provides fraud and misrepresentation investigation, prevention, and redress services, as well as verification of business standards, including customer satisfaction. Our expert evidence has been used extensively in criminal and civil courts, and is often featured in the media. 

KwikChex is a recipient of a Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) Hero Award in recognition of our work supporting consumer protection, civil actions and criminal investigations and prosecutions. The award citation included the following quote: “Its role in trying to stop scams or seek justice against the offenders is uncompromising, and KwikChex has greatly helped to reduce consumer detriment, particularly within the Timeshare sector.” 

Links 

KwikChex website https://kwikchex.com/ 

KwikChex Hero Award  https://www.journaloftradingstandards.co.uk/hero-awards/fraud-prevention-service-wins-award/ 

Trading Standards approved https://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/profile/kwikchex/24358 

KwikChex on the BBC https://kwikchex.com/kwikchex-on-the-bbc/  

For media enquiries, please email: media@kwikchex.com