Dual Citizen Pleads Guilty in $12M Wire Fraud Scam

CONCORD, N.H. — Mustafa Hasan Arif has added another infamous name to the list of international con artists. The dual national from Pakistan and the UK appeared in a U.S. District Court in Concord today, where he admitted guilt to wire fraud charges. His scheme promised cures for incurable diseases, reeling in victims worldwide.

Arif, while residing in Lahore, Pakistan, was found to have orchestrated a massive online fraud operation. He created and controlled over 1,500 websites that hawked drugs promising cures for conditions like cerebral palsy, mental retardation, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, and emphysema. The fraudulent sites featured falsified cure rates, fictional clinical research, and fake testimonials.

One of Arif’s most deceptive claims was a 90 percent cure rate in clinical trials, which he fraudulently attributed to his drugs. Yet another trick involved linking to non-existent research on the same websites. Customers were reassured by false addresses in Germany, Norway, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and Denmark, where the actual drugs originated from Pakistan.

His fraudulent enterprise netted over $12 million. Arif was originally arrested after landing in New York for a business trip in February 2014. He has been detained in New Hampshire since his transfer to federal court there. His sentencing is set for January 26, 2017.

This investigation was a joint effort by the FDA/Office of Criminal Investigations, Cybercrime Investigations Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, and numerous other agencies including law enforcement from Nigeria, New Zealand, the UK, and more. Assistant United States Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen and Senior Counsel Sarah Hawkins are handling the prosecution.

Arif’s case is a stark reminder of the reach and cunning employed by modern-day criminals. His ability to dupe people across borders with false promises of healing underscores the critical role law enforcement plays in protecting the public from such fraudulent schemes.

RELATED: Deported Dealer Back in NH, Faces Decades for Meth Flood

RELATED: Convicted Ponzi Schemer Arrested in Florida After Failing to Show Up for Sentencing