"A man has admitted a plot to target Tube passengers in a text message scam using homemade "SMS blasters" hidden inside suitcases. Daoyan Shang, 20, admitted the plot as he dramatically changed his plea to guilty to a charge of conspiracy to defraud on the fifth day of his trial at Inner London Crown Court. It came a day after "top boss" Zhijia Fan, 48, also changed his plea to guilty on the same charge related to the scam run between January and March 2025."
"Both men, of no fixed abodes, are to be sentenced on Tuesday along with two other defendants. Wan Hafiz, 41, of no fixed abode, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and possession of articles for use in fraud. Gatis Lauks, 25, of Ealing, west London, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud by false representation. Another suspect, called Jinhua Zhang, 58, is on the run, having fled when he was released on bail."
Daoyan Shang, 20, admitted a plot to target Tube passengers with a text message scam using homemade SMS blasters hidden inside suitcases. Zhijia Fan, 48, also changed his plea to guilty to conspiracy to defraud for the same scam run between January and March 2025. The jury returned a guilty verdict against Shang and was dismissed. The scam, known as smishing, combines SMS and phishing to trick people into revealing personal information by posing as reputable companies. Prosecutors will not pursue an additional possession charge against Fan and Shang. Four defendants face sentencing on Tuesday; one suspect remains on the run.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]