ATS Specialists Inc

[Beverley Kelley]

I need to find out if shares bought (certificates held) really exist and are saleable. A family member bought them having been caught by what I understand to be a "boiler house scam". I now don't know whether he is holding share certificates which are fakes or whether they are real and have no idea how to find out?

 

[Jaydee]

Hi Beverley

I'm afraid it doesn't look too good. I can't find any more info on this than below, however:

http://www.trade2win.com/boards/equities/27826-ats-specialists-inc.html

 

[PualoP]

http://www.trade2win.com/boards/brokerages/23908-marlton-associates.html

 

[Jaydee]

That confirms it then...scam scam scam

 

[anley]

If the shares are fake then they're obvioulsy worth nothing.

But if they're real they're also probably worth nothing.

Sorry we cannot be more helpful. Just write the loss of and put it down to experience. So NEVER again buy anything to do with investments unless you a) fully understand what you're doing and b) FULLY checkout who you're doing business with. Use the internet, it's your best friend for research and easily spotting these types of scams or at least letting you know that something might not be 100% right.

 

[jrawlin1]

Has anyone else been approached by IBG & Associates, Barry Russell, to buy our ATS Specialists stock.

They are offering $10 a share but we have to pay 50cents per share into Escrow first to pay off a lien (loan) against the shares evidently taken by Oxbrdge International before they went out of business.

I have been sent a reasonable looking contract but am having difficultly in proving that IBG & Associates, with an office in Seattle, WA is legitimate.

Their telephone number is 001 206 420 5447.

They have all the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the ATS Specialists stock holders.

They have a web site and possibly an office in Chicago as well...

They are not a broker, but specialise in purchase and acquisitions - here working on behalf of a Hedge Fund (unnamed).

Evidently there are 30,000 ATS Specialists share holders - assets of ATS Specialists also unknown to me.

Question is, is this a real offer to take up or a follow up scam?

Anyone got any actual information here... ???

Regards,

John

 

[pboyles]

Has anyone else been approached by IBG & Associates, Barry Russell, to buy our ATS Specialists stock.

They are offering $10 a share but we have to pay 50cents per share into Escrow first to pay off a lien (loan) against the shares evidently taken by Oxbrdge International before they went out of business.

I have been sent a reasonable looking contract but am having difficultly in proving that IBG & Associates, with an office in Seattle, WA is legitimate.

Their telephone number is 001 206 420 5447.

They have all the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the ATS Specialists stock holders.

They have a web site and possibly an office in Chicago as well...

They are not a broker, but specialise in purchase and acquisitions - here working on behalf of a Hedge Fund (unnamed).

Evidently there are 30,000 ATS Specialists share holders - assets of ATS Specialists also unknown to me.

Question is, is this a real offer to take up or a follow up scam?

Anyone got any actual information here... ???

Regards,

John

Its the standard follow up scam, they will take that money you send for the 'loan' or whatever and run. This is absolutely standard practice, you will never see a cent of that money again. Dont add to your losses by falling for this nonsense.

 

[wackypete2]

This may sound harsh so I apologize... It's all a scam. Your ATS shares aren't worth the price of toilet paper. It's a shame you still haven't figured that out after so many years.

Based on your other posts here you are clinging on to hope that you can recover something for your shares. You were scammed. The best you can do is learn not to get scammed again. Your name is going around on possible target lists by the same scammers over and over again posting as some other company each time.

Peter

 

[pboyles]

This may sound harsh so I apologize... It's all a scam. Your ATS shares aren't worth the price of toilet paper. It's a shame you still haven't figured that out after so many years.

Based on your other posts here you are clinging on to hope that you can recover something for your shares. You were scammed. The best you can do is learn not to get scammed again. Your name is going around on possible target lists by the same scammers over and over again posting as some other company each time.

Peter

I've just realised this has been going on for 5 years and still no IPO. Why do you think someone would offer $10 a share for shares that dont even trade on an exchange? This was a scam from day one, any other shares you bought off these people will be worthless too, I hope you didnt fall for it more than once.

 

[paunie12]

I need to find out if shares bought (certificates held) really exist and are saleable. A family member bought them having been caught by what I understand to be a "boiler house scam". I now don't know whether he is holding share certificates which are fakes or whether they are real and have no idea how to find out?

I also bought ATS Specialist shares in 2007 from Oxbridge International - paid through TriContinental Capital Corporation - both bogus companies. Oxbridge had been de-certified through not paying its membership fees around 2002. Recently I was approached by a company called IBG & Associates Inc. Seattle, Washington - a Brian Davies called me saying they were acting on behalf of another company - Mergers & Acquisitions - saying that this company wanted to buy 51% of the shares in ATS Specialists - offering me a price of $10.00 per share. However it appears that my shares have a Lien registered on them for around $8,500, which I would have to pay off before their principal would buy my shares! Sounds too good to be true!! I have tried to investigate them - IBG is not registered with FINRA in the States, they do not appear as a company listed in Seattle - so although the thought of perhaps being able to recoup my losses (substantial) - I think that it is another con! Has anyone else been approached by IBG & Associates (Brian Davies or a Richard Hunter?)

 

[paunie12]

Has anyone else been approached by IBG & Associates, Barry Russell, to buy our ATS Specialists stock.

They are offering $10 a share but we have to pay 50cents per share into Escrow first to pay off a lien (loan) against the shares evidently taken by Oxbrdge International before they went out of business.

I have been sent a reasonable looking contract but am having difficultly in proving that IBG & Associates, with an office in Seattle, WA is legitimate.

Their telephone number is 001 206 420 5447.

They have all the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the ATS Specialists stock holders.

They have a web site and possibly an office in Chicago as well...

They are not a broker, but specialise in purchase and acquisitions - here working on behalf of a Hedge Fund (unnamed).

Evidently there are 30,000 ATS Specialists share holders - assets of ATS Specialists also unknown to me.

Question is, is this a real offer to take up or a follow up scam?

Anyone got any actual information here... ???

Regards,

John

I have also been approached by IBG & Associates (Seattle) - sent an Agreement - offered $10 per share but also told that there was a Lien registered against my shares and I would have to pay around $8,500 into an Escrow account to pay off the Lien before the shares would be purchased. Contacted FINRA in Seattle - IBG is not registered with them, the company is not in the 'phone book, nor listed as a company in Seattle, couldn't find a website under IBG & Associates - so I unfortunately must believe it to be a scam (pity I would have liked to recoup some losses - but when Brian Davies said that the Escrow account would be in Panama - it sounded a bit 'dodgy')

 

[anley]

Paunie

Sorry to be rude but it's for your own good. You are an idiot for still thinking your 'shares' are worth anything. They were never worth anything, you were setup right from the original cold call.

In future please don't get involved in anything to do with investments because you don't know what you're doing, therefore you're at great risk of losing ALL your money.

Now, before you have a go at me think about this - I'm being nasty to you but helping you to keep hold of your cash. But the scammers are nice, and charming, no dounb make you feel good andf like a winner, yet they steal all your money.......

Good luck anyway

 

[jrawlin1]

Barry Russell was my caller, with same "story".

He wouldn't allow me to use a neutral Escrow Agent... and I can no case for a bonafide US company using any party outside of the US or the UK in my case.

The Lawyers I found at the IBG & Associates address have never heard of the company.

I found another web site that indicates that Barry Russell & Associates (although not necessarily the same Barry Russell) is based at 559 Old Lake City Hwy, Lake City TN 37769.

Also, the ibgandassociates.com web site is hosted at IP Address 173.192.168.124 where svlassetmanagement.com is also based, has similar text and has the same admin/tech contact tel. no. of 001 425 274 0657 and address Bellvue, WA 98007.

Looks very dodgy to me... especially to buy stock in a company whose web site and directors have just disappeared together with all the Oxbridge Internation staff who started this whole saga off.

I would recommend that you declare a 100% loss on your ATS Specialist, Inc. Reg S shares and use the loss indefinitely (until used up) to offset any profits you do make on stock sells into the future after the annual allowances of course... this has helped me a lot over the last couple of years. Another three years, with market recovery, may put me back where I was before I was sold down the road with many others.

If I can suggest a London stock exchange based company which should do well, look at ZOX... but do your own research and NEVER take the advice of "cold callers". If I've learnt one thing, if a "cold caller" has reached me to push a stock then the value and prospects must be pretty low actually irrespective of the sales talk.

Best wishes,

John

 

[jrawlin1]

Barry Russell was my caller, with same "story".

He wouldn't allow me to use a neutral Escrow Agent... and I can no case for a bonafide US company using any party outside of the US or the UK in my case.

The Lawyers I found at the IBG & Associates address have never heard of the company.

I found another web site that indicates that Barry Russell & Associates (although not necessarily the same Barry Russell) is based at 559 Old Lake City Hwy, Lake City TN 37769.

Also, the ibgandassociates.com web site is hosted at IP Address 173.192.168.124 where svlassetmanagement.com is also based, has similar text and has the same admin/tech contact tel. no. of 001 425 274 0657 and address Bellvue, WA 98007.

Looks very dodgy to me... especially to buy stock in a company whose web site and directors have just disappeared together with all the Oxbridge Internation staff who started this whole saga off.

I would recommend that you declare a 100% loss on your ATS Specialist, Inc. Reg S shares and use the loss indefinitely (until used up) to offset any profits you do make on stock sells into the future after the annual allowances of course... this has helped me a lot over the last couple of years. Another three years, with market recovery, may put me back where I was before I was sold down the road with many others.

If I can suggest a London stock exchange based company which should do well, look at ZOX... but do your own research and NEVER take the advice of "cold callers". If I've learnt one thing, if a "cold caller" has reached me to push a stock then the value and prospects must be pretty low actually irrespective of the sales talk.

Best wishes,

John

ps I also meant to say that there are UK FSC warnings about approaches from svlassetmanagement, and it can't be just co-incidence that the web site is hosted at the same IP Address as IBG & Associates...

 

[Elsa]

Have had a similar call from Barry Russell of IBG Associates advising that I need to transfer $6,400 to cover lien on ATS Specialists non-assessible shares in order to take advantage of a $10 per share offer. Kept him talking until he finally got the message that I was not parting with any money!

 

[jrawlin1]

I believe you and I are wise not to part with any more money...

Barry told me that they now had the 51% commitment to sell such ATS Specialists shares, and didn't need to buy mine; so why does he want to buy your's as well.

My suspicion now is that the "Hedge Fund" will eventually decide not to continue (given we have no proof of their offer, or deposit, or even their name) and that IBG would keep our money to pay off the fictious lien and add their commission - and we would not get a penny back.

I have written off my ATS Specialists, Inc. stock and declared a 100% loss for tax purposes, so I can at least offset profits elsewhere, should the markets ever recover.

I will never buy Reg S stock again or listen to "cold call" advice.

As others have said, if ATS Specialists, Inc. had any residual value then any stock offer would not need any money up front from us.

 

[anley]

My suspicion now is that the "Hedge Fund" will eventually decide not to continue (given we have no proof of their offer, or deposit, or even their name) and that IBG would keep our money to pay off the fictious lien and add their commission - and we would not get a penny back.

Watch it JR because you're in real danger of getting scammed again because you seem to believe that some or all of this is true. Well let me tell you what's true -

1. There is NO hedge fund, there never was one and there never will be. The hedge fund is just used as a lie to steal your money

2. There is NO company called IBG, never was and never will be. That is just a lie so they can try to steal your money.

3. There is NO such thing as a lien on a share, never has been and never will. If you know what you were doing in the stockmarket you would have realised this fact straight away.

Don't take it personally, I'm being cruel to be kind here and trying to make you look in the mirror and say 'I don't know anything about investments or the stockmarket so unless I learn I must never get involved in such things again'.

Knowing nothing is why it was easy to scam you with ATS 'shares' in the first place. And this also includes getting involved in legit. stocks and stockbrokers. They won't steal your money per se but they will do everything in their power to skim you until you don't have much left. Skimming somebody who doesn't know what's happening is what the legit brokers like the best because then the client doesn't realise he's been had. So called perfect business.

Good luck!