01What happened

The story, straight

Shahid Adnan, a 43-year-old Amazon Flex delivery driver from Liverpool, was sentenced to three years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court on June 17 after admitting fraud, money laundering, and a hacking offence. Adnan ran a company called Study Sharp Ltd., through which he completed coursework, assignments, and online exams for students at Liverpool John Moores University in exchange for payment, earning more than $400,000. He obtained students' login credentials to access university systems. The scheme was uncovered in February 2023 after a student submitted a USB stick, and Adnan was found with over $3 million in his accounts.

Shahid Adnan, 43, was delivering Amazon packages in Liverpool while secretly running a full-on exam-cheating business called Study Sharp Ltd. He'd log into Liverpool John Moores University systems using stolen student credentials and do their coursework and online exams for cash — pulling in over $400,000. Court found $3M+ in his accounts. He got three years after pleading guilty to fraud, money laundering, and hacking at Liverpool Crown Court on June 17.

02Spread timeline

Where it actually started

February 2023Origin
Scheme uncovered after a student submitted a USB stick as evidence.whole thing unravels when a student hands in a USB stick
source
June 17, 2026
Adnan sentenced to three years after pleading guilty to fraud, money laundering, and hacking.adnan gets three years after pleading guilty
source

03Source receipts

Every claim, linked

DexertoFull report detailing Adnan's sentencing, the Study Sharp Ltd. scheme, and the $400K+ earnings figure from Crown Prosecution Service
primaryrssreceipt

04What's solid, what isn't

What's solid and what isn't

Confirmed
  • Shahid Adnan, 43, from Liverpool, was sentenced to three years in prison on June 17.
  • He admitted fraud, money laundering, and a hacking offence.
  • He ran a company called Study Sharp Ltd. to complete coursework and exams for students at Liverpool John Moores University.
  • He earned more than $400,000 through the scheme.
  • Over $3 million was found in his accounts.
Disputed
  • The exact number of students who used Adnan's services.
  • The precise role of the USB stick in uncovering the scheme.

05Why it matters

The editorial take

Adnan's case highlights the growing sophistication of contract cheating operations, where individuals — not just sketchy essay mills — build legitimate-seeming businesses to exploit academic systems. The scale of money involved, over $3 million in accounts from a side hustle running alongside a delivery driver job, underscores how profitable academic fraud has become in the UK higher education sector.

guy was delivering packages by day and running a full cheating ring by night — and had $3M to show for it. this is what contract cheating actually looks like in 2026: not some kid asking their friend for answers, but a one-man operation with a company name and stolen login credentials.