Dubai: A Dubai-based expat accused of defrauding investors worldwide through a string of get-rich-quick schemes seems to have run out of luck.
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Canadian man Aziz ‘Com’ Mirza, who lives in Burj Khalifa, drives supercars and describes himself as serial entrepreneur, mentor, influencer and philanthropist has been arrested and is now in Al Awir jail, Gulf News can confim.
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Com, who is of Pakistani origin, was reportedly taken into custody by Bur Dubai Police on October 27 following a complaint of a UAE resident who lost over $150,000 in his dodgy schemes. A source at Dubai Public Prosecution said Mirza is being investigated for fraud and taking money from people illegally.
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Gulf News uncovered the racket
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In April 2019, a Gulf News investigation uncovered how Com Mirza had tricked hundreds into investing into disguised Ponzi schemes, dodgy real estate projects and a crypto currency that is now worthless.
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The victims include people from as far as US, UK, Canada and Greece.
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Most belong to a UK-based online community platform called the Muslim Entrepreneur Network (MEN) which Com Mirza and his brother Rafaqat ‘Rocky’ Mirza got associated with shortly after its launch in 2015.
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Once on board, the duo allegedly used the platform to float an investment scheme called the Leverage Programme (LP) which guaranteed ‘financial freedom’ within a year.
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Members were encouraged to join the network by forking out a minimum of £5,000 each.
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Enticed by promises of attractive returns, 300 signed up in early 2017.
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Around 1,200 more enrolled a few months later.
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Among new recruits was Sharjah-based Umm Rayyan who paid £25,000. “It was our life-savings,” she told Gulf News on Monday. “We were called for a meeting at a mall in Dubai where Com promised us financial freedom within one year. More than two years have passed since then and I have no clue where my money is,” said the Indian expat.
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Who is Com Mirza?
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A Canadian of Pakistani origin, Aziz ‘Com’ Mirza describes himself as a serial entrepreneur, investor, social media influencer, mentor, philanthropist and dream chaser. He claims that since launching his first business at age seven with a lemonade stand, he has done business in eight countries.
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According to him, he runs multiple companies in technology, real estate, automotive, luxury rental, crypto currency, investment and media industries. Com lives in Burj Khalifa and has over 800,000 followers on Instagram where the feed is filled with pictures of him enjoying hospitality of local hotels and restaurants.
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Money trail
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Nearly £4 million was raised under LP between January 2017 and 2019.
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Most of it was wired to the bank account of a Dubai-based firm owned by a third brother of Com Mirza while huge amounts went to pay for personal expenses.
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“Between them the brothers took millions of pounds from average people around the globe,” MEN’s co-founder Harun Rashid said in an email to Gulf News from London.
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Long list of victims
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Aside from LP, scores more lost money to two other shady schemes fronted by Com Mirza — International Success Group (ISG) and a cryptocurrency called Habibi Coin, once billed as the “bitcoin of the Middle East”.
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Briton Kalib Hussain, who invested £50,000 in ISG, said the scheme was pitched as an educational subscription website where Com was supposed to teach them how to make the most of their money.
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“But somewhere down the line it morphed into an investment programme called ISG Capital Pool which required members to pool in their funds and get guaranteed 10 per cent returns within 12 months from a real-estate project in Dubai,” recalled Hussain.
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New Yorker Tariq Syed who invested $100,000 in ISG said: “Com claimed he was a real estate mogul. We believed him.”
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Dubai-based sales manager Gulammohiyuddin Maskati, 43, said he’s devastated having burnt his fingers in ISG and the real estate-backed cryptocurrency Habibi Coin launched by Com as a Sharia compliant currency
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“I invested $50,000 in ISG and $25,000 in Habibi,” said Mastaki, one of the many investors who have since filed a police complaint.
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John Barry from USA said he invested $500,000 in a scheme after spending a week with Com and talking with people who regarded him highly.
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“It was all an illusion,” he said.
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Ippokratis Boboras, who lives in Greece, said she invested $10,000 in Habibi Coin in 2018.
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“I was familiar with Com Mirza through the internet marketing community where he was considered an authority. I had personal chats with him via Facebook and I sent money to his personal Paypal account,” Boboras said in an email to Gulf News.
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Giannis, also from Greece, said he and his brother jointly invested $17,000 in Habibi after meeting Com at his Burj Khalifa apartment.
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“He presented himself as a $500 million dollar entrepreneur,” said Giannis.
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Mohammad Shareef from UK who lost £2000 in Habibi said he didn’t invest until he visited Com at his office in Dubai and met him in person. “We spoke for an hour. It wasn’t until this year that things started going down. Com’s Instagram posts are now all about food and gym. It’s been a sad experience for us. Until today there’s been no official word about what has happened with Habibi Coin,” said Shareef.
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Canadian Abe Arabi ($10,000), Britons Mohammad Vorajee ($2,000), Humaun Rashid (£10,000), Abdul Aim (£14,000), American Kevin Green (1,500) are among several other Habibi investors with similar stories.
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-With inputs from Ali Al Shouk, Senior Reporter
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Victims speak out
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“I invested $500,000 in a scheme run by Com after spending a week with him and talking with people who regarded him highly. I trusted him. As we know now, he had an elaborate system where he positioned himself as an authority that would deliver on his promises. It was all an illusion.
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-John Barry, USA
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“I lost $50,000 in ISG and another $25,000 in Habibi Coin and have now filed a complaint against Com Mirza at Al Barsha Police station.”
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-Gulammohiyuddin Mastaki, Dubai, UAE.
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“I invested £25,000 in Leverage Programme on a friend’s suggestion. We were called to a mall in Dubai where we were promised financial freedom within one year. More than two years have passed and I have no clue where my money is. I have not received a single penny until now.“
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-Umm Rayyan, Sharjah, UAE
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“I was a top-tier investor in the Leverage Programme and invested £10,000 from my personal savings. I have tried every approach to get my money back but to no avail.”
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-Humaun Rashid, UK
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“I invested $10,000 in Habibi Coin in 2018. I got familiar with Com Mirza through the internet marketing community where he was considered an authority. I had personal chats with him via Facebook and I sent money to his personal Paypal account. He proved to be a big scammer and a person of zero integrity.”
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-Ippokratis Boboras, Greece
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“Com introduced his brother Rafaqat (Rocky) Mirza to MEN who lied about his financial worth. Between them they took millions of pounds from people around the globe. I invested £250,000 in MEN and the Leverage Programme in 2017.”
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-Harun Rashid, MEN co-founder, London, UC
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“I invested £4,000 in Habibi coin and £10000 in the Leverage Programme. It makes me furious and exasperated when I look back at how they targeted the Muslim community in the UK, To earn our trust, they lied that they own multi-billion businesses.”
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-Abdul Aim, UK
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“Com’s Instagram is now all about food and gym. It’s no longer about investments. It’s been a sad experience for many who have been taken advantage of. Until today there’s been no official word about what happened with Habibi Coin. It’s time Com answers. I invested £2000.”
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-Mohammad Shareef, UK
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“I invested $1500 in Habibi Coin back in April 2018. I have been trying to get my money back with no success. Com Mirza has blocked me on all possible means of communication alleging that I am a negative person due to my scepticism in his ”investment” scheme.”
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-Kevin Green, USA
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“I invested $2,000 in Habibi Coin in 2018. Even though the amount is relative compared to those of others it still needs to be shown that people from all walks of life – working class to multimillionaires – were taken for a ride.”
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-Mohammed Vorajee, UK.
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“I was sold on a scam dream called Habibi Coin by Com Mirza aka Aziz Mirza for $5000 back in 2017 as well as another $500 refundable deposit for capital investment pool but he never refunded to me
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-Ali Amin, UK
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“Habibi Coin was marketed and introduced to us at the Leverage Programme in London. Many of those who invested in LP also invested in Habibi. The Mirza brothers made us believe that they are billionaires and successful businessmen. In fact, they are con artists. I lost £4,000 in Habibi coin and £10,000 in Leverage.”
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-Tahera Choudhury, UK
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The dodgy investment program
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Leverage Programme (LP)
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Launched under the Muslim Entrepreneur network (MEN) in January 2017, LP promised guaranteed returns from an online content website business. People were encouraged to join by forking out a minimum of £5,000 (Dh24,000) each. A second wave of investment saw 1,200 more sign up. The new members paid up to £25,000.
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Status: Hundreds worldwide await refunds
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International Success Groups
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ISG was pitched as an educational website where Com was to teach subscribers how to make the most of their money. However, it soon transformed into an investment programme called ISG Capital Pool which required members to pool in their funds and get guaranteed 10 per cent returns within 12 months from a real-estate project in Dubai. Scores worldwide parted with anything between $5,000 and $150,000, hoping to benefit from Com’s experience as a real estate mogul in Dubai.
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Status: Investors remain in the dark about the real estate project where their money has been supposedly invested as Com has refused to share any details
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Habibi Coin
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Habibi Coin was launched by Com as a real estate-backed Sharia-compliant cryptocurrency to “help members participate in fractional real estate ownership without having high incomes and credit scores.”
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Status: The currency is worthless and is not listed on any exchange.
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