Private tutor Shahid Adnan was able to "live a lifestyle well beyond his wealth" through an audacious con, boasting high-end BMW and Audi cars and an impressive house. However, his scheme was foiled when a client handed a USB drive to a Liverpool John Moores University lecturer, leading to suspicions he raked in up to £2 million from his deception.
How the Fraud Was Discovered
Appearing in Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing on June 17, it was heard how Adnan's crimes came to light when Dr Tom Berry, of the university's School of Computer Science and Mathematics, was handed a USB stick containing coursework by a student in February 2023. When analysed, the storage device was found to have been used by Adnan and his "contract cheating" company Study Sharp Ltd.
Jonathan Rogers, prosecuting, described how the pen drive also contained information relating to modules, due dates for work, and login credentials for the JMU network, allowing the user to submit coursework and access online exams.
Extent of the Deception
Adnan, of Lysander Close in Everton, was found to have accessed these systems using several different student logins between 2021 and 2023. The names of these account holders were cross-referenced against transfers paid into his bank account, with the computer forensics undergraduate who handed in the USB having paid him more than £14,000.
A search of Adnan's home revealed £5,500 in cash and two high-end motor vehicles: a BMW 5 Series and an Audi A4. When interviewed, he told detectives he had been working as a private tutor since 2007 "mostly for international students," having gained his business by word of mouth.
Court Proceedings
Adnan admitted posing as students in exams, reporting he would get £250 for doing so but claimed it happened only a few times. He also admitted being paid for completing coursework "a number of times" for JMU and University of Huddersfield students. He pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation, causing a computer to perform a function to secure unauthorised access, and money laundering.
Appearing in the dock wearing a navy blue polo shirt, he sat with his head bowed as he was jailed for three years. Adnan could now be ordered to repay his ill-gotten gains under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
