Former head of Harlequin Group, David Ames, slapped with a £283,321 confiscation order after SFO investigators discover luxury homes in Dubai and cash in hidden bank accounts
The Serious Fraud Office has secured a £283,321 confiscation order against David Ames, 73, who is in prison for the multimillion Harlequin timeshare fraud in the Caribbean
Ames is the former chairman of Harlequin Group, and has been ordered to make the payment or face a further three years in prison, on top of his original 12-year sentence. He was convicted in 2022 of defrauding thousands of victims through a £226m Caribbean island timeshare fraud run through his company Harlequin Group.
The confiscation order marks a step forward in the Serious Fraud Office’s (SFO) ongoing asset recovery action against the former property developer and convicted fraudster.
Since the trial in 2022, SFO investigators have uncovered hidden assets belonging to Ames, including suspected land in Thailand and luxury properties in Dubai, cash held under Ames’ name in a hidden bank account and ‘tainted gifts’ – funds transferred to family members, detail of which was heard during a contested hearing at Southwark Crown Court in November 2025.
Ames
