A 25-year-old individual from the United Kingdom, identified as Ajay Shinjin, also known by the alias AJ Marley Cruz, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for his involvement in a SIM-swapping fraud that resulted in the theft of nearly £200,000 (approximately ₹2.5 crore) in cryptocurrency. The sentencing took place on October 8 at the Inner London Crown Court, following Shinjin’s guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and transferring criminal property on September 28.

Details of the Fraud Case

The fraudulent activities date back to November 2021 when BT, a telecommunications provider, detected unauthorized activities impacting its systems. Investigators discovered that individuals’ phone numbers had been redirected to SIM cards controlled by criminals, which facilitated access to victims’ cryptocurrency accounts for the purpose of theft.

Mechanism of SIM-Swapping Fraud

SIM-swapping involves the illicit transfer of a victim’s phone number to a SIM card that the criminals control. With this access, fraudsters can intercept one-time passwords (OTPs) used for account verification, allowing them to breach accounts secured by SMS authentication methods.

BT’s investigation during early November 2021 highlighted suspicious activities and identified several devices utilized in the SIM-swapping operations, ultimately linking Shinjin to four incident-related devices.

Victims and Financial Impact

Four distinct victims were identified during the investigation, each suffering significant losses due to the fraud:

• One victim lost around £40,000 worth of cryptocurrency on November 2, 2021, with approximately £27,000 transferred directly to Shinjin’s personal cryptocurrency wallet.
• A second victim experienced a £17,000 theft occurring between November 5 and 7, with the entire amount traced back to Shinjin’s crypto wallet.
• Another individual faced a loss of £8,000 from their Coinbase account, with Shinjin playing a role in facilitating the theft.
• A fourth victim reported a staggering £130,000 loss between November 6 and 7, again involving Shinjin’s facilitation of the crime.

Arrests and Legal Proceedings

Shinjin was initially arrested in connection with the fraud in 2021 but was arrested a second time at Heathrow Airport in October 2023 upon his return from Dubai, following new evidence surfacing. He was subsequently charged, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced for his crimes.

Detective Constable Simon Ardeman from the City of London Police characterized the case as a “complex and calculated fraud,” emphasizing the significant financial repercussions for the victims involved. He noted, “By deliberately exploiting SIM-swap technology, Shinjin was able to gain access to cryptocurrency accounts and steal nearly £200,000 from multiple victims’ accounts.”

Ardeman also remarked on the seriousness of SIM-swap fraud, stating that the conviction serves as a warning that those leveraging technology for fraudulent activities will face justice.