LANCASHIRE'S chief trading standards officer has warned anyone taking part in a "money for nothing" scheme that they could face prosecution themselves.

The county's trading standards department has had hundreds of complaints about the activities of German-based Titan Marketing, also known as Titan Business Clubs.

Titan operates by word of mouth, encouraging people at secretive, religious-style meetings to donate £2,500 and then recruit others to do the same.

The original members are then told they will get a percentage for every person they introduce, but there is no product involved.

One East Lancashire businessman who went to a Titan meeting at the weekend in Stoke, said he was surprised by the sort of people attending.

"There were doctors, solicitors, accountants, and businessmen there," said the man who did not want to give his name.

"On the car park, every single car was a big car, there were no Ford Fiestas. "You had an option to donate £2,500. I've not laid out any money and I won't until I'm absolutely convinced."

However, chief trading standards officer Jim Potts warned people thinking of getting involved with Titan to steer well clear.

"If anyone persuades someone else to join the scheme, they could be liable to a civil action from them if they lose money," said Mr Potts.

"This is nothing more than a money circulation scheme. We've seen these before and they are never sustained for any period of time.

"They generally collapse quite quickly with more people losing money rather than gaining it."

He added that the scheme was currently legal, but the Department of Trade and Industry was introducing legislation to clampdown on so-called pyramid selling techniques.

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