Sheng Li, Xiaoxin Zheng, Renzhong Chen charged over elaborate Adelaide hack

Three men from Adelaide allegedly phished some of the world’s most used apps using details from the Optus hack, seizing the identity and credit card details of 1500 people.

Details of staggering charges against three Chinese nationals arrested over an elaborate Adelaide-based hack of some of the world’s most well-known streaming services have revealed there could be 1500 alleged victims.

The men were arrested over the alleged hack, which police say saw the three men gain identifying and personal details through a phishing scam using details made public in the Optus hack, in late November.

Those men Sheng Li, 24, Renzhong Chen, 31, and Xiaoxin Zheng, 20, are understood to be Chinese men living in Adelaide.

All three of the men on Tuesday made bail applications in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court, where their respective defence lawyers were “ambushed” with a slew of significantly more serious charges.

Mr Li, of Adelaide, was originally charged with using somebody else’s identity to commit an offence, but by Tuesday he had been slapped with 76 different counts including money laundering and the federal law offence of conspiracy.

Three Chinese nationals have been charged over an elaborate hack originating in Adelaide.

Similarly, Mr Chen, who was represented by one of the state’s top silks, Grant Algie KC, was arrested over a charge of unlawful possession.

Police prosecutor John Payne told the court the allegations against the three men were “extremely complex” and the charges of money laundering could go as high as “hundreds of thousands” of dollars.

He described the allegations as “prolific” and said there could be 1500 alleged victims.

“The victims have so far been identified as being compromised through the Optus hack (using) phishing scams of Spotify, Netflix and Foxtel,” he said.

“ … (the men) persistently used other persons’ identities’, used credit cards and misappropriated funds and laundered the proceeds of those offences.”

According to court documents, Mr Li is alleged to have carried out the hack in November.

Optus was the subject of an enormous hack in September. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

The federal charge of conspiracy, however, alleges the men were operating the hack between October 1 and November 18, in the months following the Optus hack which saw 10 million people’s details compromised.

According to the documents, Mr Li faces the full 76 charges, which include money laundering, while the other two men are charged with conspiracy.

If guilty, the charge of conspiracy carries with it a term of imprisonment of more than 12 years.

Patrick Dawes, for Mr Li, told the court his client’s father was a Chinese property developer who would front up $20,000 cash surety for his son’s release.

He told Magistrate Jayanthi Pandya the recent charges had been laid weeks after Mr Li was arrested and questioned why the prosecution did not have a more complete case.

Ms Pandya agreed, saying the information on the charges before the court was “insufficient” and simply saying it is “complex” would not justify denying the trio bail.

She adjourned the matter until January for the prosecution to provide more information to the court.

Mr Li, Mr Chen and Mr Zheng were remanded in custody.