Current Vlahos Punting Club

Remove this Banner Ad

Sterge

Sterge

Premium Platinum
EKA Medal - Sweet FA Rising Star Richmond Tigers - 2019 Player Sponsor Richmond Tigers - 2018 Player Sponsor Richmond Tigers - 2017 Player Sponsor
Jun 3, 2009
42,617
74,333
Melbourne
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Avs/Pats/Chelsea
This is an amazing story for anyone who doesn't know

Apparently Vlahos ran a 'punting club' which took up to 500m and never placed any bets, now Vlahos has turned up allegedly bashed and his car torched

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/op...his-punting-club/story-fni0ffyu-1226780160052

DETECTIVES must have an open mind at all times. So those investigating the mysterious alleged bashing of Bill Vlahos - and torching of his car - have to eliminate the possibility he deliberately injured himself and burned his own vehicle.
Click to expand...

But his problems pale against those of a former AFL player and man-about-town, who not only invested his own money in the scheme but spruiked its benefits to others.
The former player has gone into hiding. A bad day turned much worse on Monday morning when two large, menacing men walked into his city office.
They stayed just long enough to deliver an ultimatum and a threat. When they left, he was so frightened he could hardly speak. It seems the men blamed him for certain people losing large amounts.
A colleague told him to go straight home and pick up his wife and flee, because some very ugly bikers are out to mess up his face.
Click to expand...
 
Sounds like just another Ponzi scheme with the additional side of probable large scale money laundering.

I don't understand why anyone could hand over large sums of money with absolutely nothing in writing, except because they are greedy or trying to hide where the money came from. I have absolutely no sympathy for anyone who put money in.
I mean for example "And for a large number of The Edge's participants, the bets were irrelevant. All they saw was the promise of handsome returns ranging from 21 per cent to 46 per cent every three months." and "They never received any paperwork to validate their investment, club members who logged on to secure websites were greeted with official-looking financial statements showing healthy balances."

Seriously, that didn't trigger alarm bells in their heads! Blinded by greed pure and simple.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/b...ters-may-lose-500-million-20131210-2z420.html

I saw on another website the story about a women who called into 3AW claiming she'd lost something like $400,000 through the scheme, but in actual fact had put in $35,000 and the rest of the loss was based on how much her investment had allegedly gained over the years, which you'd have to believe was mostly if not completely created out of thin air.

Just something to keep in mind as you hear sob stories from people who should of known better.
 
knife said:
I saw on another website the story about a women who called into 3AW claiming she'd lost something like $400,000 through the scheme, but in actual fact had put in $35,000 and the rest of the loss was based on how much her investment had allegedly gained over the years, which you'd have to believe was mostly if not completely created out of thin air.

Just something to keep in mind as you hear sob stories from people who should of known better.
Click to expand...

Good post. I especially think that the part quoted needs to be understood whenever people talk about money that they've lost. I think the vast majority of the time, they're talking about hypothetical money, or gambling losses that completely ignore the winnings (not saying that the issue of gambling isn't a serious one, just that I think when reports like this surface, it should automatically be assumed that the figures are greatly exaggerated).
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Bunk Moreland said:
Good discussion over on the punting board.

You would have to be majorly clueless to have bought this.
Click to expand...

It never ceases to amaze me how seemingly intelligent people manage to convince themselves that all manner of get rich schemes aren't Ponzi.
 
MC Extra Dollop said:
Good post. I especially think that the part quoted needs to be understood whenever people talk about money that they've lost. I think the vast majority of the time, they're talking about hypothetical money, or gambling losses that completely ignore the winnings (not saying that the issue of gambling isn't a serious one, just that I think when reports like this surface, it should automatically be assumed that the figures are greatly exaggerated).
Click to expand...

Theoretically the money was 'real'

They werent estimated winnings or potential profits, they were already made profits.

These picks were created and sent out prior to race meetings and the leader of the club was responsible for putting the bets on, which he wasnt. But the members are seeing winners and for that reason are counting their money.

It has nothing to do with 'not counting losses' or being exaggerated, that 400,000 was her balance and had the club been run properly then that money would be hers.
 
JuddsABlue said:
It has nothing to do with 'not counting losses' or being exaggerated, that 400,000 was her balance and had the club been run properly then that money would be hers.
Click to expand...

Sure in fantasy land where you get upwards of 40% return and never lose

Counting theoretical 'winnings' as part of your loses is complete tripe
 
JuddsABlue said:
Theoretically the money was 'real'

They werent estimated winnings or potential profits, they were already made profits.

These picks were created and sent out prior to race meetings and the leader of the club was responsible for putting the bets on, which he wasnt. But the members are seeing winners and for that reason are counting their money.

It has nothing to do with 'not counting losses' or being exaggerated, that 400,000 was her balance and had the club been run properly then that money would be hers.
Click to expand...

The exaggeration was in the other half of the sum - the prices supposedly obtained. They were completely farcical. Top fluc on huge bets? Lol.

Yeah they saw winners, but they must have seen the tote dividends etc too. Then compared them to these spreadsheets.

I think it's pretty clear they were all majorly clueless people who were seeing what they wanted to see.
 
The 3AW rumour file today said that Melbourne's Herald Sun would publish the full list of people in the punters club in Saturday's paper.

Should make for some interesting reading ;)
 
RustyHawk said:
The 3AW rumour file today said that Melbourne's Herald Sun would publish the full list of people in the punters club in Saturday's paper.

Should make for some interesting reading ;)
Click to expand...

Yep, I'm sure that's just what they need at this time...public humiliation! I'm not as sympathetic as some others about this whole saga, but FFS...
 
Just can't believe theres so many people who know demonstrably so little about punting, yet were willing to invest six figure sums in a punting scheme! On nothing more than word of mouth references.

I guess it genuinely is just not much money to many people.

I posted a link to a Thoroughbred Village thread in the first page of the thread on the Punting board. It's worth a read - it was started in mid 2012 when word of this scheme first started to spread - there were mug punters calling it a sham and ponzi by about the third post!
 
Bunk Moreland said:
Just can't believe theres so many people who know demonstrably so little about punting, yet were willing to invest six figure sums in a punting scheme! On nothing more than word of mouth references.

I guess it genuinely is just not much money to many people.

I posted a link to a Thoroughbred Village thread in the first page of the thread on the Punting board. It's worth a read - it was started in mid 2012 when word of this scheme first started to spread - there were mug punters calling it a sham and ponzi by about the third post!
Click to expand...

I was told to check the Herald-Sun page 70 regarding this. Found the names of a couple that I know, greedier twats don't exist. Karma
 
Bunk Moreland said:
Just can't believe theres so many people who know demonstrably so little about punting, yet were willing to invest six figure sums in a punting scheme! On nothing more than word of mouth references.

I guess it genuinely is just not much money to many people.

I posted a link to a Thoroughbred Village thread in the first page of the thread on the Punting board. It's worth a read - it was started in mid 2012 when word of this scheme first started to spread - there were mug punters calling it a sham and ponzi by about the third post!
Click to expand...

The thing that makes me shake my head from what I've read of that is that the people who were defending it were pretty much saying 'definitely not a ponzi...I've got no idea how they're doing it, but I know people who got in early and made good money from it.' Which, of course, is the blueprint of how a ponzi works. You're relying on the ground floor investors getting a fantastic ROI. Then the greedy and the gullible are falling over themselves to get in and/or invest more money. You make money out of people through referrals and the ones who do their dough are the ones who've still got money in when the music stops and everything comes crashing down. And the other thing is, the people who did pull there money out and were unscathed probably come under suspicion by association. I mean, it's a golden goose...why take your money out, unless you are suspicious, or complicit?
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

grizzlym said:
It never ceases to amaze me how seemingly intelligent people manage to convince themselves that all manner of get rich schemes aren't Ponzi.
Click to expand...

"After years of disappointment with get rich quick schemes, I know I'm going to get rich with this scheme...and quick!"

24zitfo.png


2a0dboh.jpg


"D'oh!"

jsez41.png
 
Bunk Moreland said:
Just can't believe theres so many people who know demonstrably so little about punting, yet were willing to invest six figure sums in a punting scheme! On nothing more than word of mouth references.

I guess it genuinely is just not much money to many people.
Click to expand...

It seems like it was more than word of mouth references though.

It'd be interesting to know what was paid out before the flow of new members started to dry up.
 
Searched the H/Sun on that day - found nuthin:(
 
Now 'jimmy' has been euthanised.
 
The money trail here ran thru Yarrawonga Footy Club and somewhere in Vanuatu. I TRIPP'd over that data.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Kurve
Current AI Generated Child Abuse Material - National Press Club AFP Reece Kershaw
Replies
7
Views
187
MSB ROYS
MSB ROYS

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top