A 25-year-old London man, Ajay Shinjin, also known as AJ Marley Cruz, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison by Inner London Crown Court for his role in a SIM-swap fraud case, according to a notice from the City of London Police. Shinjin pleaded guilty on Sept. 28 to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and transferring criminal property. The case involved the theft of nearly £200,000, or about $265,000, in cryptocurrency.
Police said the investigation began after BT identified unauthorized activity in its systems in early November 2021. Customers’ phone numbers were moved onto SIM cards controlled by the offenders, allowing them to intercept one-time passcodes sent by banks and crypto platforms. Device data provided by BT linked Shinjin to four devices tied to the operation.
Authorities said Shinjin received more than £44,000 from the scheme and spent the money on a holiday in Dubai, a luxury apartment in Canary Wharf, and gold-plated dental braces. Case details also outlined losses suffered by four victims, including transfers into Shinjin’s personal crypto account and wallet, as well as theft from a Coinbase account. He was first arrested at his home in 2021 and was arrested again at Heathrow Airport in October 2023 after returning from Dubai.
A 25-year-old London man, Ajay Shinjin, also known as AJ Marley Cruz, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison by Inner London Crown Court for his role in a SIM-swap fraud case, according to the City of London Police.
Shinjin pleaded guilty on Sept. 28 to two charges: conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and transferring criminal property. The case involved the theft of nearly £200,000, or about $265,000, in cryptocurrency.
BT flagged unauthorized activity in November 2021
Police said the case dates back to early November 2021, when British telecom operator BT detected unauthorized activity in its systems. Customers’ mobile numbers were transferred onto SIM cards controlled by the offenders. That gave them a way to intercept one-time passcodes sent by banks and crypto platforms over text message.
Investigators said device data supplied by BT helped identify multiple suspects, and Shinjin was linked to four of those devices.
Police say Shinjin received more than £44,000
According to the police notice, Shinjin received more than £44,000 from the operation. The money was spent on a holiday in Dubai, a luxury apartment in Canary Wharf, and gold-plated dental braces.
Case details list losses across four victims
One victim lost about £40,000 in crypto assets on Nov. 2, 2021, with roughly £27,000 of that amount traced to Shinjin’s personal crypto account.
A second victim lost about £17,000, all of which went into his wallet. Police also said Shinjin helped steal about £8,000 from a third victim’s Coinbase account and about £130,000 from a fourth victim.
Arrested in 2021 and again in 2023
Police said Shinjin was first arrested at his home in 2021. He was arrested again at Heathrow Airport in October 2023 after returning from Dubai.
This article was originally published by Bit.Fan. For more cryptocurrency news and market insights, visit www.bit.fan. Disclaimer:
The market information, project data, and third-party content displayed on this platform are for industry information sharing only and do not constitute any form of investment advice or return commitment.
Cryptocurrency trading carries high risks. Users should fully assess their risk tolerance and make independent decisions. All profits, losses, and legal responsibilities are borne by the users themselves.
