近日，英國媒體報導一起涉及中國留學生的重大詐騙案件，引起社會廣泛關注。案件主角為英國列斯大學的兩名中國留學生——26歲的劉利（音譯，Liu Li）和25歲的於晚晴（音譯，Yu Wanqing）。他們利用英國鐵路公司提供的延誤賠償制度漏洞，在四年間非法獲取巨額賠償金，最終分別被判處監禁。

事件始於兩人發現英國火車公司會對延誤列車提供退款或賠償，但系統並未自動核對乘客是否已獲得過退款。他們因此設計一套詐騙方法：先假裝不再旅行，申請火車票退款；如果列車延誤，則再次提交相同行程的延誤賠償申請，以此獲取雙重賠款。最初，英國橫貫鐵路公司（CrossCountry Trains）率先察覺異常，隨後調查發現這一詐騙行為涉及多間鐵路公司。

警方調查揭示，兩人為隱瞞身份，開設多個銀行帳號，虛構16個不同身份來掩蓋詐騙行為。更令人驚訝的是，他們在一部手機上安裝可容納20張電話卡的適配器，用以監控行動，同時製造“不同手機號碼代表不同人”的假像。此精密手法顯示兩人對漏洞利用的高度計算和謀劃。

據統計，從2021年起，劉利共非法獲取約14萬英鎊（約港幣145萬元），而於晚晴則非法獲得約1.5萬英鎊（約港幣15.5萬元）。兩人被捕後均被還押候審，並承認串謀詐欺及持有犯罪財產的罪名。法院最終判決劉利入獄30個月，於晚晴判刑17個月。目前，於晚晴服刑期已接近完成，將很快獲釋。

這起案件反映現代電子支付與線上補償系統在監管上的漏洞，同時也警示學生群體在異國生活中應遵守法律規範。案件在英國社會和媒體中引發熱議，並再次凸顯了防範科技與金融漏洞的重要性。

Recently, British media reported a major fraud case involving two Chinese students in the UK, drawing widespread attention. The individuals involved were Liu Li (26) and Yu Wanqing (25), both students at The University of Leeds. They exploited a loophole in the UK rail delay compensation system to illegally obtain large sums of money over four years, ultimately leading to their imprisonment.

The scheme began when the two discovered that UK train companies provided refunds or compensation for delayed trains but lacked an automated system to verify whether passengers had already received reimbursement. They devised a method where they would first pretend not to travel and claim refunds for train tickets; if the trains were delayed, they would submit additional claims for the same journeys to receive double compensation. The fraud was initially detected by CrossCountry Trains, which later uncovered that multiple rail companies had been affected.

Investigations by British transport police revealed that the pair opened multiple bank accounts and fabricated 16 fake identities to conceal their fraudulent activities. Remarkably, they installed an adapter in a single mobile phone to hold 20 SIM cards, allowing them to closely monitor operations while creating the illusion that different claims came from separate individuals. This sophisticated setup demonstrated the meticulous planning behind their scheme.

From 2021 onwards, Liu Li illegally obtained approximately £140,000 (around HK$1.45 million), while Yu Wanqing acquired roughly £15,000 (around HK$155,000). Both were held in custody after arrest and admitted to conspiracy to defraud and possession of criminal property. The court sentenced Liu Li to 30 months in prison and Yu Wanqing to 17 months; Yu Wanqing’s term is nearly complete, and she is expected to be released soon.

This case highlights vulnerabilities in modern electronic payment and online compensation systems and serves as a cautionary tale for international students about abiding by local laws. The incident sparked significant discussion in the UK media and society, underscoring the importance of preventing abuse of technological and financial loopholes.