An illegal immigrant who should have been deported 15 years ago has admitted orchestrating one of Britain’s largest property frauds, swindling 45 victims out of £8.5million by selling homes he did not own.
Anopkumar Maudhoo, 46, used the proceeds to fund an extravagant lifestyle featuring 19 supercars including five Aston Martins worth £1.2million, a £97,000 speedboat, and luxury rentals in Hertfordshire, Wapping and Knightsbridge.
The fraudster, who operated under multiple aliases including Vincent Lebeouf, Pascal Burns and Yusef Khan, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday wearing a grey prison tracksuit with heavily tattooed forearms, showing no emotion as victims described the devastating impact of his crimes.
One elderly victim told the court the stress and anxiety from the fraud contributed to him suffering a stroke. “The scam did not just rob me of my life savings, it stole my sense of stability and future for my family,” another victim stated, describing Maudhoo’s actions as a “cruel and calculated act of deception” causing “deep sense of betrayal” and “shame”.
The Home Office had ordered Maudhoo’s deportation to Mauritius in 2010 after he was convicted of using a fake identity on immigration documents. However, by 2016 he remained in the UK and was wanted by authorities after removing his electronic tag and failing to notify police of his whereabouts.
Prosecutor Simon Wilshire KC told the court Maudhoo has extensive previous convictions for fraud, identity theft and handling stolen goods dating back more than a decade. In 2010, he was caught stealing deposits from prospective tenants by advertising flats on Gumtree using fake identities, then issuing refunds with stolen chequebooks that bounced.
“He has a history of organised defrauding of people in a sophisticated way,” Wilshire said.
Detective Inspector Damian Barlow from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) described the operation as “a vast, complex and highly organised scheme”. Maudhoo’s primary method involved convincing would-be buyers he had exclusive access to properties on the verge of repossession at well below market value.
In reality, none of the 75 properties he fraudulently sold since 2021 had been repossessed or were even for sale. They were either rental properties advertised on websites like Zoopla or still occupied by their legitimate owners.
Maudhoo’s second technique involved persuading multiple victims to invest in heavily discounted properties supposedly from a liquidator, promising 15-20 per cent returns when sold at market value. Again, the homes were not his to sell.
When buyers questioned why they could not view properties in person or access full legal documents, Maudhoo manufactured excuses, citing confidentiality agreements or blaming delays on banks. Some homeowners only discovered their property had been used in the scam when complete strangers arrived on their doorstep claiming they had purchased the home.
The court heard how Maudhoo posed as Vincent Lebeouf of Bluebell Associates Limited while simultaneously impersonating a solicitor called Yusuf Khan of Taylor Rose, a genuine law firm with no involvement in the fraud. This dual deception convinced victims they were dealing with both a property expert and a reputable lawyer.
In one particularly brazen case, Maudhoo tricked two separate buyers into purchasing the same property in Belgravia’s exclusive Eaton Terrace. Each man lost more than £685,000 after agreeing to invest £950,000 in what Maudhoo claimed was a £1.9million property reduced from £5million due to imminent repossession.
The fraud unravelled when one buyer’s wife visited their supposed new home in Bromley, only to find it occupied by the genuine owner. “One can only imagine the surprise of the homeowner in the house he owned and paying the mortgage every month,” Wilshire told the court.
Victims who had drawn from pooled family savings, borrowed money, or encouraged loved ones to invest described “rifts” and the “ripple and domino effect” of bringing friends and family into the fraudulent deals.
Police seized an extraordinary collection of luxury vehicles during raids across Central London and Hertfordshire in September 2024, including five Aston Martins, two Bentleys totalling £443,000, two Lamborghinis worth £873,000, plus Ferraris, a Porsche and a Rolls Royce.
At the time of his arrest, Maudhoo was renting a £6,500-a-month house in Radlett, which he was preparing to purchase for £3million, alongside a £6,000-a-month flat in Park Vista Towers overlooking the River Thames. Investigators also discovered he had attempted to buy a superyacht named ‘Mistaken Identity’ to moor at St Katherine’s Dock below his luxury East London apartment.
Officers recovered more than £15,000 in cash, 14 sets of false identity documents for various aliases of different nationalities, and over 20 personalised number plates referencing his multiple identities. Digital devices seized helped investigators uncover the full extent of the elaborate scheme.
When victims raised concerns, Maudhoo would exchange messages with himself using different aliases and devices, pretending to be a point of escalation within his business or a contact in the planning or conveyancing process.
The fraudster admitted 31 offences including 14 counts of fraud by false representation, 16 counts of possessing false identity documents, money laundering and one count of perverting the course of justice. He asked for a further 45 offences to be taken into consideration, bringing the total to 76 admitted crimes.
Evidence suggested Maudhoo had orchestrated the illicit sale of 75 buildings or development plots since 2021, with victims located across North London, Hertfordshire and Essex. Prosecutors believe Maudhoo was born in Mauritius in 1979, though he operated under numerous identities including Hamid Khan, Hamid Collin and Vicenzo Conte.
The UK has secured its first Interpol Silver Notice against Maudhoo to help trace and recover his criminal assets internationally. Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: “This Silver Notice demonstrates our commitment to cross-border cooperation to trace, seize and recover laundered assets, wherever they may be hidden.”
Detective Chief Inspector Rob Burns from ERSOU confirmed Maudhoo has “strong links abroad, particularly around Europe”, and the international notice will help identify further assets to repay victims.
Judge Kristina Montgomery KC remanded Maudhoo in custody ahead of sentencing on 30 June, when he faces a lengthy prison term. Proceeds of Crime Act legislation is being used to identify assets that could be sold to compensate the dozens of victims who lost life savings to the elaborate fraud.
“Put simply, he was purely focused on taking victims’ cash and using it to fund his lavish lifestyle,” Detective Inspector Barlow said. “Victims in this case have lost significant sums of money, in some cases in excess of a million pounds.”
The case highlights serious questions about how an illegal immigrant ordered for deportation in 2010 remained free to commit one of Britain’s largest property frauds for over a decade, devastating dozens of families in the process.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
