Latest news with #MoizKunwar
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Dozens more alleged victims come forward as Brampton man accused in real estate fraud faces new charges
A Brampton man accused of defrauding more than a dozen would-be homeowners is now facing additional criminal charges, while a civil lawyer says dozens more alleged victims have recently come forward claiming they were also defrauded. Moiz Kunwar, 28, is accused of taking deposits for pre-construction homes he was not authorized to sell, which were built by a legitimate developer he had no connection with. Last month, Kunwar was charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime. That's on top of two counts of each charge already laid against him in February and March of this year, according to Brampton court records. The criminal charges against him have yet to be tested in court. Now, Peel Regional Police are warning the public about Kunwar. "Members of the public are urged to avoid any transactional interactions with Moiz Kunwar," spokesperson Const. Tyler Bell-Morena said. He says the fraud bureau is continuing to investigate new and existing allegations of fraud involving Kunwar "relating to instances where he reportedly misrepresented himself as being a member of a real estate development company." Bell-Morena says police believe there are other victims who have not yet come forward and are encouraging anyone with information to contact Peel police's fraud department or report details anonymously through Crime Stoppers. 40-50 more people believe they were scammed: lawyer Toronto lawyer Andrew Ballantyne is representing seven plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit against Kunwar. Since CBC Toronto's reporting on Kunwar's criminal charges in May, he says he's received phone calls from 40 to 50 people who believe they are also victims of the alleged real estate scam. Ballantyne says he's working with the majority of them to help get their deposits back. "A lot of these people are regular, everyday people … [who] have given their life savings and it's tragic to see," he said. Three civil lawsuits filed in Ontario Superior Court paint a similar picture and accuse Kunwar of collecting deposits for pre-construction homes across the Greater Toronto Area by using a corporate name nearly identical to that of a legitimate developer he was not associated with. The lawsuits claim he took deposits for homes that he had no right to sell, leaving the buyers without their new homes and out tens of thousands of dollars in deposit money. The plaintiffs in the three civil suits claim they gave Kunwar a total of nearly $570,000 in deposits and are suing him in hopes of getting that money back, plus damages. In an email to CBC Toronto, Kunwar said he intends to defend himself against all charges and allegations against him, but did not comment further because the matters are before the courts. Kunwar previously denied fraud allegations In a statement of defence in one of the civil claims against him, Kunwar denied all allegations of fraud and that he'd ever represented himself as a real estate investor, broker, developer or mortgage lender. Instead, he claimed he was "simply a sales associate" who received some payments on behalf of his superiors but did not deposit them for his own personal use. The court filing said Kunwar believed the transactions were lawful and legitimate. CBC Toronto first began investigating Kunwar in 2022 after a local realtor flagged a suspicious sales pitch that was circulating in Toronto's Black community for below-market rate pre-construction homes with low mortgage rates. As part of that investigation, CBC Toronto spoke to multiple people who claimed they paid Kunwar or his associates at the company Paradise Development Homes Limited (PDHL) deposits for homes. The 2022 investigation found the homes were being sold by a legitimate and licensed developer, Paradise Developments Inc., but despite the nearly identical name, the licensed developer had no ties to Kunwar or PDHL. In a statement at the time, Paradise Developments Inc. said Kunwar had no authority or legal right to sell any of the builder's properties. Kunwar told CBC Toronto he passed on information about the deals to people he knew but denied taking deposits. Kunwar continued to take deposits for pre-construction homes as recently as last spring, according to Ballantyne. He says because the real estate deal Kunwar was offering was so good, many were eager to tell their friends and family, who also signed up. "It just spread like wildfire," he said. Ballantyne says the would-be buyers were often taken out to the development site and shown the home they were going to be purchasing. "Eventually that unit gets built. Eventually [other] people move into that unit, the closing date comes and goes and people realize, 'Hey, what's going on here?'" He says when they reach out to Kunwar they are "smoothly talked off the ledge" in order to buy more time. "But, ultimately, there's only so much time they can buy," he said.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Dozens more alleged victims come forward as Brampton man accused in real estate fraud faces new charges
A Brampton man accused of defrauding more than a dozen would-be homeowners is now facing additional criminal charges, while a civil lawyer says dozens more alleged victims have recently come forward claiming they were also defrauded. Moiz Kunwar, 28, is accused of taking deposits for pre-construction homes he was not authorized to sell, which were built by a legitimate developer he had no connection with. Last month, Kunwar was charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime. That's on top of two counts of each charge already laid against him in February and March of this year, according to Brampton court records. The criminal charges against him have yet to be tested in court. Now, Peel Regional Police are warning the public about Kunwar. "Members of the public are urged to avoid any transactional interactions with Moiz Kunwar," spokesperson Const. Tyler Bell-Morena said. He says the fraud bureau is continuing to investigate new and existing allegations of fraud involving Kunwar "relating to instances where he reportedly misrepresented himself as being a member of a real estate development company." Bell-Morena says police believe there are other victims who have not yet come forward and are encouraging anyone with information to contact Peel police's fraud department or report details anonymously through Crime Stoppers. 40-50 more people believe they were scammed: lawyer Toronto lawyer Andrew Ballantyne is representing seven plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit against Kunwar. Since CBC Toronto's reporting on Kunwar's criminal charges in May, he says he's received phone calls from 40 to 50 people who believe they are also victims of the alleged real estate scam. Ballantyne says he's working with the majority of them to help get their deposits back. "A lot of these people are regular, everyday people … [who] have given their life savings and it's tragic to see," he said. Three civil lawsuits filed in Ontario Superior Court paint a similar picture and accuse Kunwar of collecting deposits for pre-construction homes across the Greater Toronto Area by using a corporate name nearly identical to that of a legitimate developer he was not associated with. The lawsuits claim he took deposits for homes that he had no right to sell, leaving the buyers without their new homes and out tens of thousands of dollars in deposit money. The plaintiffs in the three civil suits claim they gave Kunwar a total of nearly $570,000 in deposits and are suing him in hopes of getting that money back, plus damages. In an email to CBC Toronto, Kunwar said he intends to defend himself against all charges and allegations against him, but did not comment further because the matters are before the courts. Kunwar previously denied fraud allegations In a statement of defence in one of the civil claims against him, Kunwar denied all allegations of fraud and that he'd ever represented himself as a real estate investor, broker, developer or mortgage lender. Instead, he claimed he was "simply a sales associate" who received some payments on behalf of his superiors but did not deposit them for his own personal use. The court filing said Kunwar believed the transactions were lawful and legitimate. CBC Toronto first began investigating Kunwar in 2022 after a local realtor flagged a suspicious sales pitch that was circulating in Toronto's Black community for below-market rate pre-construction homes with low mortgage rates. As part of that investigation, CBC Toronto spoke to multiple people who claimed they paid Kunwar or his associates at the company Paradise Development Homes Limited (PDHL) deposits for homes. The 2022 investigation found the homes were being sold by a legitimate and licensed developer, Paradise Developments Inc., but despite the nearly identical name, the licensed developer had no ties to Kunwar or PDHL. In a statement at the time, Paradise Developments Inc. said Kunwar had no authority or legal right to sell any of the builder's properties. Kunwar told CBC Toronto he passed on information about the deals to people he knew but denied taking deposits. Kunwar continued to take deposits for pre-construction homes as recently as last spring, according to Ballantyne. He says because the real estate deal Kunwar was offering was so good, many were eager to tell their friends and family, who also signed up. "It just spread like wildfire," he said. Ballantyne says the would-be buyers were often taken out to the development site and shown the home they were going to be purchasing. "Eventually that unit gets built. Eventually [other] people move into that unit, the closing date comes and goes and people realize, 'Hey, what's going on here?'" He says when they reach out to Kunwar they are "smoothly talked off the ledge" in order to buy more time. "But, ultimately, there's only so much time they can buy," he said.
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Dozens more alleged victims come forward as Brampton man accused in real estate fraud faces new charges
Social Sharing A Brampton man accused of defrauding more than a dozen would-be homeowners is now facing additional criminal charges, while a civil lawyer says dozens more alleged victims have recently come forward claiming they were also defrauded. Moiz Kunwar, 28, is accused of taking deposits for pre-construction homes he was not authorized to sell, which were built by a legitimate developer he had no connection with. Last month, Kunwar was charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime. That's on top of two counts of each charge already laid against him in February and March of this year, according to Brampton court records. The criminal charges against him have yet to be tested in court. Now, Peel Regional Police are warning the public about Kunwar. "Members of the public are urged to avoid any transactional interactions with Moiz Kunwar," spokesperson Const. Tyler Bell-Morena said. He says the fraud bureau is continuing to investigate new and existing allegations of fraud involving Kunwar "relating to instances where he reportedly misrepresented himself as being a member of a real estate development company." Bell-Morena says police believe there are other victims who have not yet come forward and are encouraging anyone with information to contact Peel police's fraud department or report details anonymously through Crime Stoppers. 40-50 more people believed they were scammed: lawyer Toronto lawyer Andrew Ballantyne is representing seven plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit against Kunwar. Since CBC Toronto's reporting on Kunwar's criminal charges in May, he says he's received phone calls from 40 to 50 people who believe they are also victims of the alleged real estate scam. Ballantyne says he's working with the majority of them to help get their deposits back. "A lot of these people are regular, everyday people … [who] have given their life savings and it's tragic to see," he said. Three civil lawsuits filed in Ontario Superior Court paint a similar picture and accuse Kunwar of collecting deposits for pre-construction homes across the Greater Toronto Area by using a corporate name nearly identical to that of a legitimate developer he was not associated with. The lawsuits claim he took deposits for homes that he had no right to sell, leaving the buyers without their new homes and out tens of thousands of dollars in deposit money. The plaintiffs in the three civil suits claim they gave Kunwar a total of nearly $570,000 in deposits and are suing him in hopes of getting that money back, plus damages. In an email to CBC Toronto, Kunwar said he intends to defend himself against all charges and allegations against him, but did not comment further because the matters are before the courts. Kunwar previously denied fraud allegations In a statement of defence in one of the civil claims against him, Kunwar denied all allegations of fraud and that he'd ever represented himself as a real estate investor, broker, developer or mortgage lender. Instead, he claimed he was "simply a sales associate" who received some payments on behalf of his superiors but did not deposit them for his own personal use. The court filing said Kunwar believed the transactions were lawful and legitimate. CBC Toronto first began investigating Kunwar in 2022 after a local realtor flagged a suspicious sales pitch that was circulating in Toronto's Black community for below-market rate pre-construction homes with low mortgage rates. As part of that investigation, CBC Toronto spoke to multiple people who claimed they paid Kunwar or his associates at the company Paradise Development Homes Limited (PDHL) deposits for homes. The 2022 investigation found the homes were being sold by a legitimate and licensed developer, Paradise Homes Homes Inc., but despite the nearly identical name, the licensed developer had no ties to Kunwar or PDHL. In a statement at the time, Paradise Developments Inc. said Kunwar had no authority or legal right to sell any of the builder's properties. Kunwar told CBC Toronto he passed on information about the deals to people he knew but denied taking deposits. Accusations as recent as last spring Kunwar continued to take deposits for pre-construction homes as recently as last spring, according to Ballantyne. He says because the real estate deal Kunwar was offering was so good, many were eager to tell their friends and family, who also signed up. "It just spread like wildfire," he said. Ballantyne says the would-be buyers were often taken out to the development site and shown the home they were going to be purchasing. "Eventually that unit gets built. Eventually [other] people move into that unit, the closing date comes and goes and people realize, 'Hey, what's going on here?'" He says when they reach out to Kunwar they are "smoothly talked off the ledge" in order to buy more time. "But, ultimately, there's only so much time they can buy," he said.
CBC
13-05-2025
- CBC
Brampton man facing fraud charge, 2 lawsuits as alleged real estate deposit scam collapses
Social Sharing A Brampton man has been charged with fraud and is facing two lawsuits related to an alleged pre-construction home deposit scam worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Moiz Kunwar, 28, allegedly took real estate deposits from at least nine homebuyers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) for pre-construction houses he didn't have the right to sell and which were being built by unrelated, legitimate developers. Janet Campbell is one of them. The Brampton grandmother and six others are collectively suing Kunwar to get back nearly $170,000 they paid him for deposits on pre-construction homes they purchased but never received. "This hurt me a lot because I believed him, and I trusted him to have a home, and it didn't happen," said Campbell. "He took me to this site to see the home, but it wasn't my home." After many delays, Campbell says Kunwar assured her the nearly $1-million five-bedroom Brampton home she'd signed a purchase agreement for in July 2022 would be ready by Jan. 1 of this year, so she told her landlord she'd be moving out. But then her dream home never materialized. "When I looked at my children, and my grandchildren, and they looked at me and they said, 'Mom, where are we going to go? What are we going to do?' What do I tell them?" Campbell spent her remaining savings on Airbnbs for herself and her family. She recently secured a rental by taking out loans for first and last month's rent. WATCH | Brampton grandmother suing to get back deposit: Man facing criminal charges, lawsuits over alleged GTA real estate scam 3 minutes ago Duration 3:12 Peel Regional Police charged Kunwar with fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime for an alleged fraud linked to real estate in March. The victim who was allegedly defrauded confirmed to CBC that her case involves deposits she paid Kunwar for two pre-construction homes she never received. She is not part of either lawsuit. The charges against Kunwar have not yet been tested in court. 'Simply a sales associate' Kunwar did not respond to CBC requests for comment for this story, but his lawyer filed a statement of defence in response to Campbell's lawsuit on Friday. In the court filing, Kunwar denied all allegations of fraud and that he'd ever represented himself as a real estate investor, broker, developer or mortgage lender. Instead, the record says Kunwar was "simply a sales associate" who received some payments on behalf of his superiors and did not deposit them for his own personal use. The statement of defence does not explain who those superiors are, or what, if any, company they're associated with. But it does say that Kunwar believed the transactions were lawful and legitimate and that the time frames he provided for the property developments were based on information he was given by his superiors. The defence also says Kunwar arranged for Campbell and two of the other plaintiffs to get some of their money back. Real builder confirmed no connection years ago Three years ago, a CBC Toronto investigation raised questions about these real estate deals after a local realtor sounded the alarm about a sales pitch with below-market prices and low mortgage rates he said was circulating in Toronto's Black community. The offer was for pre-construction homes in developments constructed by Paradise Developments Inc. — a licensed developer building homes in the GTA. The seller marketing the deals had a nearly identical name, Paradise Development Homes Limited (PDHL). Private lender Empire Finance was supposed to provide the mortgage financing for the deals. Kunwar was listed as the president of that supposed company on a business card, but Empire Finance is not a registered corporation in Ontario, nor a licensed lender or broker. The builder told CBC it had no connection to or business relationship with the seller and Empire Finance, and that neither company had the right to market or sell Paradise Developments' homes. At the time, CBC also spoke to more than 10 other people who said they either gave deposits to Kunwar or others connected with PDHL or Empire Finance, had friends or family who made payments, or who heard the sales pitch in person but didn't invest. Some raised concerns about the validity of the deals, while others believed they had legitimately purchased a home, since their closing dates were years away. In its statement then, Paradise Developments Inc. also said Kunwar had no authority or legal right to sell any of the builder's properties. Kunwar told CBC in 2022 that he passed on information about the deals to people he knew but denied taking deposits. At the time, he said he had put down deposits for two homes himself. Deposits still taken in 2024 Despite having no relationship with the real builder, it appears Kunwar continued to take deposits for pre-construction homes as recently as last year. Three of the homebuyers in Campbell's lawsuit signed their agreements in 2024. "More than two years after the fact, this is still happening," said Andrew Ballantyne, the lawyer representing Campbell and six other homebuyers in the lawsuit. "One of the clients who I now have signed their purchase agreement in May of last year. So this isn't something that stopped." In an affidavit filed in the other lawsuit against Kunwar, the plaintiff says he organized a meeting with Kunwar after CBC published the story in which Kunwar maintained he had the authority to sell homes and that "Paradise Homes had to tell CBC there was no agreement because it was confidential." Kunwar was "extremely persuasive and convincing at this meeting," and the plaintiff left the meeting trusting that Kunwar was an authorized seller and that his agreements of purchase were legitimate, according to the court filing. The plaintiff's statement of claim to recover nearly $100,000 in deposits he paid for two properties was filed about two years later, in August 2024. Norman Groot is representing that homebuyer. The fraud recovery lawyer is trying to get a default judgment against Kunwar, who did not respond to the claim until he attended a virtual court appearance last month asking for more time. "We have seen this scenario many times," Groot said. "Most frauds are a variation of the same sort of play. Obtaining trust, sense of urgency, a little bit of greed on behalf of the victim, lack of due diligence and a combination of factors results in somebody making a decision they wish they never had." Campbell hopes by speaking out she can help others avoid trusting offers like the one she got, which might be too good to be true.
