Shahid Adnan, aged 42, from Everton, was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court on 17 June for a major fraud involving Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). The conviction includes charges of unauthorised computer access, fraud by false representation, and handling criminal property.
The investigation began in March 2023 when a student enrolled in the LJMU Computer Forensics BSc course submitted a pen drive as part of their coursework assessment. Dr Tom Berry, from LJMU’s School of Computer Science and Mathematics, discovered that the device contained sensitive files that had been mistakenly copied by its previous owner. These files included student usernames, passwords, coursework deadlines, and financial records.
Upon uncovering this data, the university promptly alerted the police, who launched a full-scale investigation. Evidence gathered during the inquiry revealed Shahid Adnan’s involvement in manipulating university systems and committing fraud by falsifying information and misusing confidential data.
During the court proceedings, Adnan admitted to causing a computer to perform unlawful functions to gain access to data, committing fraud by false representation, and concealing criminal property. The court’s sentence reflects the serious breach of trust involved in exploiting the university’s data security.
Originally published by UKNIP.
