London Tube Smishing Gang Pleads Guilty to Bank Account Plot
Two men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud London Underground passengers through a sophisticated text message scam using homemade devices concealed inside suitcases. The prosecution revealed that unsuspecting Tube travellers who walked past the suitcases received fraudulent messages about failed parcel deliveries, with links designed to steal their personal details and ultimately plunder their bank accounts.
Guilty Pleas Entered at Inner London Crown Court
On Friday, during the fifth day of his trial at Inner London Crown Court, Daoyan Shang, aged 20, changed his plea to guilty on a charge of conspiracy to defraud between January and March 2025. This followed a similar move by Zhijia Fan, 48, described as the top boss of the operation, who pleaded guilty to the same charge just one day earlier.
The jury, upon the direction of the judge, returned a guilty verdict against Shang and was subsequently dismissed. Recorder Alex Stein addressed the court, noting that sometimes in these courts it is when everyone is in the same room and the strength of the prosecution evidence is spelled out that the defendants see the strength of the case against them. He confirmed that this had indeed been the situation in this particular case.
Sophisticated Smishing Operation Uncovered
The scam is identified as smishing, a portmanteau of SMS and phishing, where fraudsters attempt to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information by impersonating reputable companies. In this instance, the gang utilised large suitcases with reinforced metal bottoms and ventilation holes to house SMS blasters.
Prosecutor Alex Davidson explained to jurors that these devices functioned by masquerading as a legitimate cell tower, tricking nearby phones into connecting to it instead of their normal network. Once a connection was established, fraudulent messages were dispatched, purporting to be from Evri and Royal Mail, with links leading to counterfeit websites.
British Transport Police Investigation
The scheme began to unravel when an off-duty British Transport Police officer observed one of the suspicious suitcases being dragged around the London Underground. An extensive investigation ensued, involving collaboration with mobile network operators such as BT, Virgin Media, O2, Vodafone-Three, and Sky, alongside the National Cyber Security Centre and Ofcom.
Following the hearing, BTP Detective Inspector Tim Weekes stated: An extensive investigation followed, drawing on specialists from across BTP, and we built a case so robust the gang had no choice but to plead guilty. He emphasised that these convictions were achieved through close cooperation with various telecommunications and cybersecurity entities.
Additional Defendants and Sentencing
The prosecution announced that it would not proceed with a further charge of possessing an article for use in fraud against Fan and Shang, who was characterised as his right-hand man in the smishing gang. Both men, who have no fixed abodes, are scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday alongside two other defendants.
- Wan Hafiz, 41, also of no fixed abode, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and possession of articles for use in fraud.
- Gatis Lauks, 25, from Ealing in west London, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud by false representation.
Another suspect, Jinhua Zhang, aged 58, remains at large after fleeing while released on bail. The gang's operation involved rather bulky and heavy base stations that frequently malfunctioned, necessitating the use of ventilated suitcases to prevent overheating.
This case highlights the evolving tactics of cybercriminals targeting public transport users and underscores the importance of vigilance against unsolicited messages, particularly in crowded urban environments like the London Underground.
