₹2.54 crore crypto heist, Dubai holidays and gold-plated teeth: 25-year-old UK man gets 2.5 years for SIM-swap fraud
The case began after telecommunications company BT identified unauthorised activity affecting its systems in early November 2021.
- Oct 11, 2026,
- Updated Oct 11, 2026 3:39 PM IST
A UK man who helped steal nearly £2 crore worth of cryptocurrency by taking control of victims’ mobile numbers through SIM-swap fraud has been jailed for two and a half years.
Ajay Shinjin, 25, received more than £44,000 (56 lakhs) of the stolen funds, which he used to pay for a lavish lifestyle, including luxury holidays in Dubai, a high-end apartment and gold-plated teeth grills, as per a press release by City Of London Police. on Thursday.
Shinjin, also known as AJ Marley Cruz, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison at Inner London Crown Court on 8 October 2026.
He had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and one count of transferring criminal property at Inner London Crown Court on 28 September 2026.
How the SIM-swap scam worked
The case began after telecommunications company BT identified unauthorised activity affecting its systems in early November 2021.
Customer telephone numbers had been transferred to SIM cards controlled by criminals, a practice known as SIM swapping.
Once criminals gained control of a victim's phone number, they could receive one-time passcodes (OTPs) sent by text message. These codes could then be used to access bank accounts or cryptocurrency wallets.
During the investigation, BT identified devices used to receive the transferred customer telephone numbers. The devices were eSIM enabled and had two IMEI numbers.
Data provided by BT helped identify a number of suspects, including Shinjin, who was linked to four SIM-swap devices.
Police found that the victims linked to the SIM-swap incidents had reported crimes during the first week of November 2021.
One victim had around £40,000 (₹50.8 lakh) worth of cryptocurrency stolen on 2 November 2021. Of this, roughly £27,000 (₹34.3 lakh) was later transferred into Shinjin's personal crypto account.
A second victim had around £17,000 (₹21.6 lakh) worth of cryptocurrency stolen between 5 and 7 November 2021. The money was later found in Shinjin's personal crypto wallet.
A third victim had approximately £8,000 (₹10.2 lakh) taken from his Coinbase account on 3 November 2021. Shinjin facilitated the theft, with the money later sent elsewhere.
A fourth victim had approximately £130,000 (₹1.65 crore) worth of cryptocurrency stolen between 6 and 7 November 2021. Shinjin also facilitated the theft, police said.
Shinjin arrested twice
Shinjin was first arrested at his flat in 2021.
He was later re-arrested at Heathrow Airport in October 2023 after returning from Dubai, following the emergence of further evidence.
During police interviews, Shinjin provided no comment to all questions put to him.
Detective Constable Simon Ardeman, from the City of London Police, said, “This was a complex and calculated fraud that caused significant financial harm to a number of victims. By deliberating exploiting SIM-swap technology, Shinjin was able to gain access to cryptocurrency accounts and steal nearly £200,000 from multiple victims’ accounts.”
Ardeman said, “SIM-swap fraud is a sophisticated and increasingly concerning form of offending, and this case demonstrates the devastating consequences it can have for victims.”
“This conviction sends a clear message that those who use technology to commit fraud will be brought to justice,” he said.
A UK man who helped steal nearly £2 crore worth of cryptocurrency by taking control of victims’ mobile numbers through SIM-swap fraud has been jailed for two and a half years.
Ajay Shinjin, 25, received more than £44,000 (56 lakhs) of the stolen funds, which he used to pay for a lavish lifestyle, including luxury holidays in Dubai, a high-end apartment and gold-plated teeth grills, as per a press release by City Of London Police. on Thursday.
Shinjin, also known as AJ Marley Cruz, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison at Inner London Crown Court on 8 October 2026.
He had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and one count of transferring criminal property at Inner London Crown Court on 28 September 2026.
How the SIM-swap scam worked
The case began after telecommunications company BT identified unauthorised activity affecting its systems in early November 2021.
Customer telephone numbers had been transferred to SIM cards controlled by criminals, a practice known as SIM swapping.
Once criminals gained control of a victim's phone number, they could receive one-time passcodes (OTPs) sent by text message. These codes could then be used to access bank accounts or cryptocurrency wallets.
During the investigation, BT identified devices used to receive the transferred customer telephone numbers. The devices were eSIM enabled and had two IMEI numbers.
Data provided by BT helped identify a number of suspects, including Shinjin, who was linked to four SIM-swap devices.
Police found that the victims linked to the SIM-swap incidents had reported crimes during the first week of November 2021.
One victim had around £40,000 (₹50.8 lakh) worth of cryptocurrency stolen on 2 November 2021. Of this, roughly £27,000 (₹34.3 lakh) was later transferred into Shinjin's personal crypto account.
A second victim had around £17,000 (₹21.6 lakh) worth of cryptocurrency stolen between 5 and 7 November 2021. The money was later found in Shinjin's personal crypto wallet.
A third victim had approximately £8,000 (₹10.2 lakh) taken from his Coinbase account on 3 November 2021. Shinjin facilitated the theft, with the money later sent elsewhere.
A fourth victim had approximately £130,000 (₹1.65 crore) worth of cryptocurrency stolen between 6 and 7 November 2021. Shinjin also facilitated the theft, police said.
Shinjin arrested twice
Shinjin was first arrested at his flat in 2021.
He was later re-arrested at Heathrow Airport in October 2023 after returning from Dubai, following the emergence of further evidence.
During police interviews, Shinjin provided no comment to all questions put to him.
Detective Constable Simon Ardeman, from the City of London Police, said, “This was a complex and calculated fraud that caused significant financial harm to a number of victims. By deliberating exploiting SIM-swap technology, Shinjin was able to gain access to cryptocurrency accounts and steal nearly £200,000 from multiple victims’ accounts.”
Ardeman said, “SIM-swap fraud is a sophisticated and increasingly concerning form of offending, and this case demonstrates the devastating consequences it can have for victims.”
“This conviction sends a clear message that those who use technology to commit fraud will be brought to justice,” he said.