Travelers passing by certain devices received fraudulent messages regarding a failed parcel delivery, which included a link prompting them to enter their personal information. However, the true intention was to „raid their bank accounts,“ as stated in Inner London Crown Court.
The court was informed that while it was challenging to determine the exact amount of money gained from the texting operation, the primary orchestrator, Zhijia Fan, 48, had personally profited by over £100,000.
Details of the Fraudulent Operation
Prosecutor Alex Davidson revealed that Fan’s associates—Daoyan Shang, 20; Wan Hafiz, 41; and Gatis Lauks, 25—were believed to have received lesser amounts. Lauks, however, laundered approximately £600,000 by acquiring gift cards with stolen banking information.
- Lauks earned a 5% commission for the gift cards he loaded, reportedly making around £30,000 from the operation.
After initially providing a „no comment“ interview to police in May 2025, Lauks returned five days later to admit his involvement in the fraud.
Recruitment and Operations
The 25-year-old disclosed that he was enlisted in June or July 2024 to buy gift cards using stolen bank account details, with Fan acting as his „handler.“ He mentioned receiving „real-time technical support“ from a „lady in China“ and utilized an app on his phone that contained stolen banking information to conduct in-store transactions.
Lauks claimed he could acquire up to 100 gift cards daily, with one notable instance involving the purchase of £8,000 worth of gift cards from a UK retailer.
Investigation and Arrests
The group utilized the gift cards to buy various items, including clothing, Pokémon cards, Louis Vuitton merchandise, and video games. An investigation was initiated on March 11, 2025, when an off-duty British Transport Police detective observed a man with a suitcase that had holes and was emitting a green flash at King’s Cross Underground station.
Subsequent searches of the residences of Fan, Shang, and Hafiz led to the seizure of 10,832 gift cards, which were loaded with over £80,000 in profits from fraudulent activities.
Sentencing Outcomes
Shang and Fan had previously faced trial at Inner London Crown Court, where both changed their pleas to guilty regarding a conspiracy to defraud between January and March 2025. They were sentenced on Tuesday, with Fan receiving four years and eight months, while Shang was sentenced to two years and 10 months.
Hafiz was sentenced to 14 months for conspiracy to defraud and an additional 10 weeks for possession of articles intended for use in fraud, with both sentences to run concurrently. As a non-British national, he will also face deportation proceedings.
Lauks had previously pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years.
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