A UK Member of Parliament is urging a formal investigation into allegations of identity fraud tied to a Merseyside-based property firm led by a man with a serious criminal past.
Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson has called for police and Companies House to probe Urban Evolution, a national property management company run by Scott El Paraiso—formerly known as Adam Minett. El Paraiso, jailed in 2009 for theft and fraud, is accused of orchestrating a scheme involving fake directorships to block property leaseholders from taking control of their building management.
A BBC investigation found that up to 30 bogus company directors may have been listed to retain control over properties, including Liverpool’s Arndale House. Leaseholders have accused El Paraiso of fabricating directors, some of whom allegedly do not exist or have identities stolen from unsuspecting individuals—including former tenants.
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| Scott El Paraiso was jailed in 2009 for fraud under his birth name, Adam Minett |
In one example, a former tenant, Anifah Bhadmus, was listed as owning a company without her knowledge. Similarly, Hamza Al-Huseini, another ex-tenant, discovered a near-identical version of his name linked to dozens of companies buying flats at artificially low prices. Both deny any involvement and suspect their identities were misused.
Leaseholder Richard Barker described the scenario as “a last-minute attempt” by El Paraiso to prevent a board vote that would remove his control. He and other leaseholders said they were “trapped” in an opaque system where they had no visibility over tenants’ rents or whether maintenance work was actually done.
Adding to the suspicions, El Paraiso reportedly told various stories about his past, including claims of captaining celebrity-owned superyachts—a statement partially disproven by records that show he only briefly served as chief mate.
The BBC also uncovered that Urban Evolution was linked to dormant or suspicious firms like Skyline PM, which supposedly took over operations in several buildings. However, the director and listed addresses of Skyline PM turned out to be questionable or entirely fabricated.
In a recent tribunal ruling over Queensland Place in Liverpool, judges sided with leaseholders and criticized the management’s defense as lacking credibility. Key witnesses did not appear, and one sworn statement was linked to a potentially fictitious individual.
“This level of deceit undermines trust in the housing and lettings market,” MP Kim Johnson said, calling for robust enforcement and regulatory checks. New identity verification measures introduced by Companies House may help, but affected leaseholders argue they’ve arrived far too late.
With growing evidence of manipulation and false identities, pressure is building for law enforcement and regulatory bodies to intervene and bring transparency to the sector.
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