Double Shah

Sibtul Hasan Shah, alias Double Shah (Urdu, Punjabi: ; 3 March 1964 – 30 October 2015), was a scam artist in Pakistan, who gained notoriety by starting and managing a Ponzi scheme.

Early life Sibtul Hasan Shah did have some college education and a Bachelor of Science degree. Originally a school science teacher until 2005, and a resident of a lower-middle-class neighborhood in Wazirabad, he was born in Koloke, a small town of Sambrial Tehsil, in Sialkot District, Punjab. Later on, he was convicted and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. It was reported in the Pakistani newspaper, Daily Jang, that he died in prison on October 30, 2015.

How the scheme works Like most Ponzi Schemes, all it requires is a chain of investors with the old members paid hefty returns on their money from the deposits of the new members. The money investors may or may not understand how the scheme works, but quite often they don't care as long as they are getting big profits on their invested money. Everybody wakes up to the facts of the scheme, when the chain is broken by the force of law or due to some other reason. Then the investors, awaiting the big profits, have to pay a big price not only in money but also emotionally. In 2018, it was reported that National Accountability Bureau distributed Rupees 1.2 billion among 6490 victims of Double Shah scam so far over the years since the scam was discovered.

'Double Shah' was convicted by Judge Mian Murid Hussain in Accountability Court of Lahore on July 1, 2012. He was sentenced to 14 years Rigorous Imprisonment and fine equivalent to total liability against him (Pakistani Rupees 5.4 billion) less the amount recovered or being recovered in this case. All of his moveable and immovable assets were also confiscated.

Death 'Double Shah' died in Pakistan on 30 October 2015.