Two international students, Li Liu (26) and Wanqing Yu (25), were sentenced to prison in the UK after fraudulently obtaining approximately £140,000 from train companies by submitting hundreds of fake compensation claims for delayed journeys they never took.
Two international students have been sentenced to prison at Leeds Crown Court for masterminding a sophisticated scheme that defrauded UK train companies of about £140,000 through false delay compensation claims.
Li Liu, 26, and Wanqing Yu, 25, used 447 fraudulent claims between October 2021 and February of this year, employing fake identities, disposable email accounts, and international bank transfers to fund their living expenses and tuition fees. The scam unraveled when CrossCountry Trains detected suspicious activity and a mail redirection service mistakenly sent compensation forms to the pair’s actual address.
Investigators noted a recurring pattern of fake names and single-use Chinese email accounts. Liu pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy, receiving a two-and-a-half-year sentence, while Yu received a 17-week sentence for the same offenses.
DS Alexandra Carter said, “Liu and Yu found a weakness in the system and relentlessly abused it for their own benefit at great cost to the train operating companies.” She added that the students “made a mockery of the average commuters who have spent hard-earned money on train tickets.”
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