A man who tried to scam university applicants out of thousands of pounds has been jailed, following a National Crime Agency investigation.

Sibtain Hussain, 32, from Bradford, targeted international applicants to UK universities demanding payments for proof of ‘financial capability’, ‘student services’, and ‘accommodation deposits’.

He created multiple phone numbers, email addresses, aliases and bank accounts to facilitate the scheme in a bid to avoid detection.

In 2018 unauthorised access was gained to Lancaster University’s internal computer system and applicant was data stolen. Hussain, who began studying at the university in 2017, gained access to the stolen data and used it to perpetrate the fraud.

He used the information to persistently target over 200 individuals by phone and email demanding sums up to £3,200.

Over £48,000 was sent by 23 students as a result of Hussain’s efforts, but a large majority of payments were blocked by banks. The fraud had the potential to generate more than £493,000 in illegal profits.

Lancaster University reported the data breach to the NCA in July 2019 after receiving reports that applicants had been targeted. The NCA subsequently launched an investigation with the university’s ongoing assistance.

Officers identified and spoke to several of the targeted applicants including those who had made payments. They went on to identify multiple links between Hussain and various accounts associated with the fraud.

Hussain was arrested in July 2019 in Bradford. Two mobile phones and a wallet were seized which contained evidence linking him to the crimes.

He initially denied the charges but later pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court in October 2025. He was sentenced at the same location today [9 January 2026] to four and a half years for fraud and 12 months for money laundering.