The attendees of increasingly popular "financial freedom" courses are worryingly credulous

‘Who wants a free house,” the man on stage shouts at a packed room of excited onlookers. “Raise your hand and say ‘I’.” All over the room hands shoot up and people shout out.

There are 500 people in there, hopefuls pursuing their dream of becoming “financially free” by ditching their day jobs and becoming rich through property.

I am in Manchester in a large conference room at the city’s Mercure Hotel attending a “crash course” held by Property Investors with Samuel Leeds.

Mr Leeds, who has 147,000 followers on YouTube, says he started investing in property at 17. He became financially free by never using his own money to buy property – he calls them “no-money-down deals” – and is now teaching others how to do the same.

Although the course is advertised as “free”, it costs £1 (and there’s a £100 charge if you don’t turn up).

Held over two days, it promises to “change your financial life forever”. The website claims you can be “financially free in 12 months”.