British fraudster on the run after Faro police fail to act

A ruthless fraudster who has cheated several Algarve homeowners out of more than €1 million is on the run after Faro police failed to arrest or question him about his reported criminal activities over the past two years. 

A British couple, who have been residents in Portugal since 2018, raising their family on their property near Loulé,

planned to build a second home on their land for their daughter and a live-in carer once their daughter reached adulthood. 

The couple wanted to temporarily live with their whole family in this separate home while having their existing villa renovated. 

In November 2022, this British couple researched how to construct their daughter’s home, including an expanded driveway and additions to their swimming pool. After finding the website www.mod-eco.com on the internet, they made an appointment to view the Eco Modular Homes Unipessoal Lda workshop in Loulé in November 2022. 

They met the company’s CEO, Sam Chamberlain, and decided to order the delivery of materials and proceed with the construction of a four-bedroom modular home. Since then, they have learned via a specialist private investigator and public company records that Sam Chamberlain was previously known as Sam William Jenkins, born 14 December 1985, in Birmingham, England. 

He changed his name shortly after arriving in Portugal in 2016. He stole from his then employer, the Casa Fajara boutique hotel in Vale da Carrapateira, before eventually setting up Eco Modular Homes, Unipessoal Lda with a partner, Bruna Viana Cardoso, a Brazilian national, on 18 January 2023. 

The British couple received a quote from Chamberlain for the proposed new home, as well as for the construction of a driveway, and work on their swimming pool. The quote stipulated a project completion date of July 2023. 

The couple confirmed by email to Chamberlain acceptance of this quote on the following terms: 50% payment as a deposit, 35% payable upon half-completion, and 15% payment upon completion of the project.

In order to speed up delivery of the required building materials, the British couple paid cash or made transfers to Chamberlain via the Santander Bank in Portugal, Revolut and Lloyds Bank in the UK. The project was never completed, and Chamberlain fled with the money.

In April, construction work began on the driveway in front of the family’s main house. The work was delayed and progressed slowly. It was never finished and was left with a dangerous access full of deep holes.

Meanwhile, through social media messages and videos, the couple has learned that €1 million has been defrauded from other residents, both Portuguese and foreign.

Other victims include one who was defrauded of €40,000 and another who ordered the building of two houses. At least half a dozen others have been ripped off.

In April 2023, unbeknownst to the British couple, Eco Modular employees reported Sam Chamberlain and the company to the Policia Judicaria (PJ) in Faro. They told Inspector Catia Morais about their suspicions of fraud and criminality. Another employee contacted the PJ and provided an extensive dossier of documents to Inspector Morais.

Intel Suisse, the financial fraud investigator looking into this scam, has unearthed Chamberlain’s past UK background and activities. The British couple has filed complaints with the Faro PJ, based on the belief that Sam William Jenkins moved to the Algarve from England in 2016, changed his name to Sam William Chamberlain soon thereafter, and embarked on a campaign of criminality.

Written by Len Port, based on information provided by David Mapley

Editor: Catriona Anderson.

Proofreader: Roger Nuttall. 

NEW TROUBLES LOOM FOR PORTUGAL AND THE EU

Portugal and other EU countries are now quietly but increasingly concerned about the prospect of Donald Trump returning as president of the United States and “tearing Europe apart.”

Portugal has always fully endorsed the US and European countries  giving large quantities of weapons to Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s occupation.

Portugal has always fully supported the European Union, and also the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), of which it was a founding member.

Donald Trump says he intends to immediately end the war in Ukraine and give Russia victory by stopping support for Ukraine. He has shown little interest in continuing America’s close bonds with the European Union, or with continuing ties with NATO.

The other main worries for Portugal and the rest of Europe are that the US will side firmly with Israel rather than a two-state solution with Palestine. Furthermore, there could be complications in the billions of dollars/euros cross-Atlantic trade relations, and efforts to counter the climate crisis.

The good news in recent days has been that representatives from Portugal and 50 other European countries attended a private summit in England in which the newly elected British prime minister vowed to “reset” relations with the EU shattered by Brexit.

Also, the moderate Ursula Von der Leyen has been voted by a substantial majority to serve a second term as president of the EU Commission. The former Portuguese prime minister, Antonio Costa, is now well entrenched as president of the EU Council. And in Portugal, the main opposition centre-left Socialist Party has proposed having negotiations with the new centre-right government “in good faith” about next year’s budget.

However, the Europe being “torn apart” prediction is likely to be of increasing worry for Portugal and the rest of the continent. “This is the moment most of Europe’s leaders hoped they would never see,” reports the much respected American digital news company Politico. “The date is November 7, 2024.”

The Politico report continued: “The former reality TV star’s return to power would not only be the biggest test in transatlantic relations in post-war history, but it could also pose an existential risk to European unity as the tensions over how to work with the world’s most powerful country pull the continent apart”.  

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UK may "soften" EU relationship

Keir Stamer, UK's new prime minister

The United Kingdom’s soured relationship with the European Union since the Brexit referendum eight years ago could improve somewhat with Britain’s new Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the EU’s current relationship with its closest partner, the United States, in the lead up to its November election. 

 

The EU hardly got a mention from either the centre-left Labour or right-wing Conservative parties during the run-up to the British election, which gave Labour a landslide victory. The Conservatives, who had been in power for 14 years, fully endorsed the outcome of the Brexit referendum, which resulted in just short of 52% of voters choosing “leave”. Many do not regret that result even though it bitterly divided the nation, and has led to a serious economic downturn.

 

Portugal, historically the UK’s oldest ally, is an unequivocal supporter of the EU and was shocked by Brexit. While Britain’s Labour Party opposed Brexit, it agreed to “uphold the wishes of the British people.” 

 

Labour avoided the subject during this year’s election campaign and manifesto for fear of upsetting disaffected Conservative pro-Brexiteers they wanted to swing their way. However, Starmer has said that under his leadership he will not try to fully rejoin the EU, but will seek to soften the unpleasant relationship that has developed. 

 

This is viewed as of special importance to the EU as the bloc is still the UK’s largest trading partner. There are common problems too, such as tackling the high rate of illegal immigration. 

 

The EU may not maintain its close partnership with the United States unless Joe Biden steps down and is replaced by a much more competent Democratic Party presidential candidate for the November election. His age and recent follies make him much less likely to win the presidential race against Donald Trump. A return to the White House by Trump is widely predicted to be disastrous, not only for the EU but much of the whole world due to his attitude to such things as NATO, the war in Ukraine and the existential global warming crisis.