realestate

Brampton man faces new charges in real estate fraud case amid growing victim allegations

Brampton man faces additional charges in alleged real estate fraud scheme.

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Brampton man, Moiz Kunwar, 28, is facing additional criminal charges for allegedly defrauding over a dozen would-be homeowners. A civil lawyer says dozens more alleged victims have come forward claiming they were also scammed. Kunwar is accused of taking deposits for pre-construction homes he was not authorized to sell, built by a legitimate developer with no connection to him.

    Kunwar has already been charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime in February and March. He now faces more charges, which have yet to be tested in court. Peel Regional Police are warning the public about Kunwar, urging people to avoid any transactions with him.

    The police believe there may be other victims who haven't come forward and are encouraging anyone with information to contact their fraud department or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers. Toronto lawyer Andrew Ballantyne is representing seven plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit against Kunwar, who claim they gave him nearly $570,000 in deposits for pre-construction homes.

    Since CBC's reporting on Kunwar's criminal charges, Ballantyne has received phone calls from 40 to 50 people who believe they are also victims of the alleged real estate scam. He is working with most of them to help get their deposits back. The civil lawsuits accuse Kunwar of collecting deposits for pre-construction homes across the GTA by using a corporate name nearly identical to that of a legitimate developer he was not associated with.

    Kunwar has denied all allegations, claiming he was "simply a sales associate" who received payments on behalf of his superiors but did not deposit them for personal use. However, court filings and investigations suggest Kunwar continued to take deposits as recently as last spring, leaving buyers without their new homes and out tens of thousands of dollars in deposit money.

Brampton man charged in real estate fraud case, multiple victims come forward.