Page 292 - Deception at work all chapters EBook
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Other Applications 345
THE NATO FRAUD One vendor became concerned over the
delay in any of the contracts being closed
In 2000, a number of large electronic and retained investigators to try and establish
companies were asked by what they the truth. This was not difficult. Examination
believed to be the North Atlantic Treaty of the confidentiality and other agreements
Organisation to tender for a multi- shows that the genuine NATO never used
billion dollar contract to supply cameras, the definite article ‘The’ in front of its name
televisions, video, editing and other and spelt ‘organisation’ with an ‘s’ and not a
electronic equipment. More than 30 ‘z’. The names of military personnel shown in
potential vendors were required to enter volumes of correspondence did not exist. The
into severe confidentiality and other destination of the equipment was not an MTU
agreements (with ‘The North Atlantic Treaty but a small apartment in Northern Belgium
Organization’) and to supply equipment, occupied by a black American, using the
free of charge, to what they believed were name of ‘Lamar Reed’, and his Belgian ‘wife’.
Military Testing Laboratories (MTUs) in The corridors and garages of the apartment
Belgium and Italy. were stacked with boxes of valuable
electronic equipment and new deliveries,
Two American Colonels – Reed and from the UK, Germany, Japan and the USA
West – represented NATO and over a were being made five or six times a day.
six-month period, as equipment was
being supplied and supposedly tested to Boxes of equipment removed from the
destruction – would telephone vendors apartment were followed to a commercial
reporting how their equipment had passed video processing laboratory in Paris owned
or failed laboratory testing. One vendor by – surprise, surprise – Dr Lamar Reed.
spent six months and around $3 million Enquiries revealed that the genuine Lamar
manufacturing a special satellite receiving Reed was a master sergeant in the catering
system which was shipped to an MTU in department of the American Army based in
Belgium. Another had to hire a Boeing 707 Virginia. Civil search orders were obtained
to make a special shipment to Brussels. for addresses in the UK, Belgium and France
and millions of dollars worth of equipment
Both colonels were incredibly recovered. The worthy Colonels, Reed and
knowledgeable and conversations (always West, were one and the same 38-year-
on the telephone and usually late in the old Jamaican with only elementary level
evening) with the technical and sales education.
representatives from the vendor companies
were probing. Most conversations resulted Why did this fraud succeed? The simple
in shipments of further equipment and reason is that the victims, who always had
in Colonel West telling the people he was their worries, did not engage their conscious
dealing with that Colonel Reed was a bad brains to turn vague suspicions into specific
man and was trying to steer business to their concerns that would require attention. They
competitors. Colonel Reed said the same, were also blinded by the potential rewards.
to the group of vendors with whom he was
dealing, about Colonel West.
