I am sharing my personal experience…
I am sharing my personal experience with Charles & Associates Law Firm in Trinidad and Tobago so that others can be cautious ( and in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis).
In January 2025, I contacted this law firm to help me open a bank account in Trinidad so I could deposit a Trinidadian bank draft of approximately TTD $256,000, which I received as an inheritance from my late father. My mother and father worked very hard all their adult lives and raised 11 children. I live in Canada and was unable to cash the cheque at Canadian banks.
I gave the cheque and identification documents to the firm. Later, through a representative named Akilah Bowen, they informed me that the account was opened and that they would send me funds weekly. What I was not told at first was that the account was not opened in my name alone — it was a joint account, and I was not the principal account holder. I didn’t even know the principal account holder whom they listed as living at my address in Canada. This was a lie. The principal account holder’s name is Andrea Charmaine Paul. I have no idea who she is!
I only discovered this after contacting RBC Independence Square Branch directly. By then, all the funds had been withdrawn without my knowledge or consent. They cleaned out the bank account with my inheritance. So far, I have only received $9,000 CAD, while the rest of the money is unaccounted for (approximately $50,000 CAD !.
When I asked questions, I was discouraged from contacting the bank directly. Since then, I have made many attempts to recover the remaining funds but have not received a satisfactory response.
I have filed formal complaints with:
• Trinidad & Tobago Fraud Squad (TTPS)
• Legal Complaints Authority
• Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago
• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
I am sharing this information so that others can do thorough due diligence and be very careful when dealing with this firm. This statement reflects my personal experience and opinion based on documented facts. I am warning all senior citizens (especially in Canada) to be very very careful when dealing with Charles & Associates Law Firm, and with Akilah Bowen and Andrea Charmaine Paul.