Home / Crime and Justice / Tube Scammers Used Gift Cards for £600K Laundering
Tube Scammers Used Gift Cards for £600K Laundering
25 Feb
Summary
- A fraud scheme used SMS blasters on the Tube to send phishing texts.
- £600,000 was laundered by purchasing gift cards with stolen bank details.
- The 'top boss' of the scam personally benefited over £100,000.
A gang of four has been sentenced for a sophisticated text messaging scam that targeted London Underground passengers. The operation involved using 'SMS blasters' concealed within suitcases to send phishing texts to commuters, tricking them into revealing personal banking details. This scheme aimed to "plunder" victims' bank accounts.
One defendant, Gatis Lauks, was responsible for laundering approximately £600,000 by purchasing gift cards with stolen bank details. He received a five percent commission for this role, earning an estimated £30,000 personally. The 'top boss' of the operation, Zhijia Fan, benefited by more than £100,000.
The group's activities were uncovered on March 11, 2025, when an off-duty British Transport Police detective noticed suspicious luggage at King's Cross station. Subsequent investigations led to the seizure of thousands of gift cards loaded with over £80,000 in profits.
Zhijia Fan received four years and eight months imprisonment, while Daoyan Shang was sentenced to two years and 10 months. Wan Hafiz was jailed for 14 months, and Gatis Lauks received a two-year suspended sentence. Another suspect remains at large.
