Crowdfunding Fraudsters Update: Retro Computers Ltd Sanctions Doxxing, Slandering Competition

(Update: MMO Fallout incorrectly stated that George Cropper and James Ball Duncan were involved in Retro Games Ltd. This has been corrected by Paul Andrews and is not the case.)

In the previous Crowdfunding Fraudsters, I talked about how Retro Computers Ltd had broken out the B-Team. As opposed to the likes of managing director Suzanne Martin who has gone completely silent, this group of people were allegedly not employed by RCL, but appeared on the Facebook page and social media to stoke the flames, acting more like unpaid thugs or bullies, riling up the diminishing list of remaining loyal followers and making unsubstantiated, unqualified remarks on the progress of the system, only to tell people to “get over it” when those claims didn’t come true. Their job also consists of blaming bad vibes from “haters” as what is causing the ZX Spectrum to go from a possible early launch to now 13 months past the original shipping date. As I joked, Retro Computers Ltd is the only company whose machinery is gummed up by Twitter trolls.

We’ve already gone over Lee Fogarty, a man who claims that he is not paid by RCL despite his company Creative Spectrum being hired to maintain their website, not to mention his name still being plastered as the author of every single news article that goes up on the website. Creative Spectrum, for those of you who follow the link above, is in the process of being striked as a company as its accounts due May 31, 2017 have still not been filed according to Companies House. There is an objection filed against this striking filed at this time.

But we’re here today to talk about the third wheel, Jan Saggiori. Saggiori, a hacker whose role in Murdoch’s Pirates is well worth a read, joins Lee Fogarty in slandering RCL’s competition in a way that is both sanctioned by Retro Computers Ltd in that it is allowed to propagate on their highly-curated and allegedly anti-negativity “Democracy” Facebook group, while also allowing the company to distance itself should any of the subjects decide to sue. Fogarty and Saggiori, through my time observing the channel, have made consistent remarks regarding former RCL directors Paul Andrews and Chris Smith, referring to both as scam artists and criminals, making predictions that the two would be in prison, and of course making prison rape jokes at their expense.

The slanderous comments have extended to Retro Games Ltd (Not to be confused with Retro Computers Ltd,) a company headed by Paul Andrews and involving George Cropper and James Ball Duncan (Update: It’s been clarified that neither of the two individuals are involved in Retro Games Ltd). Saggiori used the Democracy Facebook page to essentially dox several members of the group, posting their personal phone numbers and addresses, calling them scammers, and encouraging people to contact them demanding refunds. Saggiori also posted a link to a fake website for the Commodore 64 mini (an RGL product), which similarly reveals personal contact information for Andrews, Cropper, and Ball, while simultaneously slandering the company.

The website happens to be registered to Jan Saggiori. Viewers should be aware that the website’s registered information was not verified by Nominet (website registration service) with any third party and the possibility exists that it was fabricated by whoever registered the website. We can, confirm, however, that Saggiori himself was sharing links to the website so even if he isn’t its creator, he is supporting and disseminating personal details.

And while, again, neither Saggiori nor Fogarty are directly employed by Retro Computers Ltd, the company has not made any visible efforts to stop either party from using their social media pages to slander the company’s competition.

Tamara Thomas, who we pointed out made an odd comparison between releasing information on the Vega and someone dying for a kidney transplant, has been silent and, according to her husband, has not been present in the group for months and has nothing to do with this week’s unprofessional, and potentially illegal, display. For his own part, Preston has released a statement that posting the details was “disgusting” and condemned it. Thomas is no longer an admin of the Democracy page.

In addition, when I pointed out on Twitter that a new Crowdfunding Fraudsters was coming out, my access to the Facebook page was revoked.

Now for updates on the system itself. Back on August 9, RCL posted this promise to backers that the units would ship within the next 8 weeks.

We can also confirm we have secured rights to some of the biggest games in the Spectrum scene, and the final games list will exceed all expectations. We aim to begin shipping the Vega+ to backers within the next 8 weeks, and to follow this immediately with our first shipments to retail.

Incidentally today marks the 8 week point since this announcement was made, making yet another false release date in a growing list of unfulfilled promises tossed out by an increasingly silent company. The following photo was posted on Indiegogo on September 1:

In the month since this post, promising “regular updates” and “new images,” not a single new image or update has been posted to the Indiegogo page. RCL is now more than five months late on their roll of honor, thirteen months late on the system itself, and four weeks late on their promise for “regular updates” and “new images.” The Indiegogo page is still, despite RCL’s claim to have never refused a refund request, plastered with users complaining that their repeated refund requests have gone ignored for months on end.

The most up to date release schedule places the Vega+ launching “mid-October.” MMO Fallout has been made aware of some relevant past incidences revolving around certain RCL staff. That information will be expanded upon once we are able to more fully investigate its veracity.