SIM-swap fraudster jailed for stealing $265K in crypto to fund luxury lifestyle
The SIM-swapper’s days of luxury in Dubai are over.
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- Ajay Shinjin was sentenced to 2.5 years for stealing about £200,000 ($265,000) in cryptocurrency.
- Police said Shinjin used SIM swapping to take control of victims’ phone numbers.
- Hijacked numbers let him receive one-time codes and access bank accounts or crypto wallets.
- Telecom provider BT data linked Shinjin to thefts from two victims and aiding two more.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
A 25-year-old man from the United Kingdom has been sentenced to 2-and-a-half years in prison for stealing £200,000 ($265,000) in cryptocurrency via SIM-swapping.
According to the London police, Ajay Shinjin, also known as AJ Marley Cruz, received more than £44,000 of the proceeds, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle, including expensive holidays in Dubai, a high-end apartment, and gold-plated teeth grills.
Shinjin was first arrested in November 2021, when telecom provider BT identified unauthorized activities in its systems, in which customers’ phone numbers were transferred to SIM cards that were controlled by criminals.
This is a practice known as SIM swapping.
With a phone number under his control, Shinjin was able to receive 1-time passcodes (OTPs) via text messages to gain access to a victim’s bank accounts or crypto wallets to access their money.
Data provided by BT showed that Shinjin received approximately £44,000 into his personal crypto account by stealing cryptocurrency from 2 victims. Two other victims were robbed of a total of £138,000 worth of crypto, which Shinjin facilitated the theft of.
In light of new evidence, Shinjin was re-arrested at Heathrow Airport in October 2023 upon returning from Dubai.
Shinjin was charged with fraud by deception and moving money he obtained illegally. He pleaded guilty to both charges at Inner London Crown Court on September 28th, 2026.
By deliberately exploiting SIM-swap technology, Shinjin was able to gain access to cryptocurrency accounts and steal nearly £200,000 from multiple victims’ accounts.
“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,” Simon Ardeman from the City of London Police said in a statement.
During his police interviews, Shinjin provided no comment to any questions put to him. Nevertheless, he was sentenced to 2-and-a-half years in prison by the Inner London Crown Court on October 8th, 2026.
