Dipakray Patel, 53, convinced investors to hand over money for property deals abroad

A fraudster jailed for conning �1.2million out of investors through fake property deals has been ordered to pay back �863,315 or serve more time behind bars.

Dipakray Patel, 53, of Chamberlayne Avenue, Wembley, traded as Global Properties, Cosmos Properties and Worldwide Properties, to convince his victims into handing over large sums of money in exchange for property deals across the world.

However the 53-year-old, who was disqualified from acting as a company director for eight years in 2004, pocketed the cash leaving his victims out of pocket.

Between July 2006 and December 2008 five investors reported him to the police and in July 2010 he was found guilty of five counts of fraud at Harrow Crown Court.

He was sentenced to seven years in jail for his scam which is believed to have pocketed him �1,226,750.

However, since his conviction more victims have come forward.

Patel had falsely claimed he invested the money with a property company in America, the money going via a company in India.

While he had sent money to Switzerland, America and India enquiries did not reveal where the money had gone from there.

Last week, the Financial Investigation Unit at Brent successfully secured a Confiscation Order for �863,315 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 by successfully arguing that the bulk of this money was hidden and recoverable.

Patel has been ordered to pay back the money, which will be distributed to victims, or an additional three years will be added to his sentence.

On his release he will also need to report all his financial dealings to the police for seven years.