Jailed Birmingham accountant ordered to repay more than £300,000 after targeting Covid support schemes

Fraudster Zeeshan Ashraf has been handed a confiscation order of more than £300,000 

Ashraf was jailed for three years and eight months last year after admitting five counts of fraud 

The 46-year-old defrauded the Eat Out to Help Out, Bounce Back Loan, and Covid Job Retention schemes

A Birmingham accountant who defrauded Eat Out to Help Out and other Covid support schemes has been ordered to repay more than £300,000. 

Zeeshan Ashraf was handed a confiscation order of £307,690 at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday 13 October. 

Ashraf was jailed for three years and eight months at the same court in February 2025 after defrauding the Eat Out to Help Out, Bounce Back Loan, and Covid Job Retention schemes. 

The 46-year-old fraudulently obtained £268,102 between April 2020 and April 2021 and attempted to claim a further £52,733. 

Ashraf, of Glaisdale Road, Birmingham, has been given three months to pay the confiscation order. If he fails to do so, he could face a further two-and-a-half years in prison and would still owe the full amount. 

Alexander Grierson, Head of Asset Recovery at the Insolvency Service, said: 

Zeeshan Ashraf stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from schemes designed to support businesses during the pandemic. 

He has served time in prison for his crimes and has now been ordered to pay back more than £300,000.

This should send a clear message to fraudsters: a conviction and prison sentence do not necessarily mark the end of enforcement action. We will pursue the proceeds of crime wherever we can.

Ashraf used his accountancy company, A-Z Certified Accountants Limited, to secure three £50,000 Bounce Back Loans from separate banks in 2020. Businesses were only entitled to a single loan.

Ashraf claimed the company had turnovers between £215,000 and £244,000 when it was actually just £8,000, allowing him to obtain the maximum £50,000 available through each loan application.