Teenager admits £12m internet banking fraud
A teenager from Portsmouth faces years behind bars after he admitted masterminding a £12m online bank fraud.
Nick Webber, of Cavendish Road, Southsea, ran the ghostmarket.net website which sold stolen credit card details and offered online tutorials in a range of lucrative online scams.
About 8m was drained from 65,000 bank accounts with sales of American details for 2 each, 3 for EU accounts and 5 for UK ones.
Visitors were also given advice on how to use card details fraudulently to buy goods, wire cash and call sex phonelines.
Webber, 19, the son of former Guernsey politician Tony Webber, is said to have been caught with details of 100,000 credit cards on his laptop - representing a total loss to credit companies of roughly 12m.
Three others, Gary Kelly, 21, Shakira Ricardo, 21, and Samantha Worley, 22, also admitted charges in connection with the website.
Judge John Price said: 'You are all very young and very intelligent people and it's a tragedy to see you in the dock.
'You used your enormous skills and education in what looks like an enormous conspiracy to defraud and steal people's credit cards and bank accounts.
'These are such serious matters that there may well be substantial periods of imprisonment.'
Webber pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to make or supply articles for use in fraud and encouraging or assisting offences, at Southwark Crown Court.
Kelly, of Swinton, Manchestor, pleaded guilty to the same charges as well as an additional count of conspiracy to make or supply articles for use in fraud and a further charge of conspiracy to cause unauthorised modifications to computers.
Ricardo, of Kings Road, Swansea, admitted conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to make or supply articles for use in fraud, possession of articles for use in fraud and acquiring criminal property.
Worley, also of Kings Road, Swansea, admitted one charge of acquiring criminal property.
The judge remanded Webber and Kelly in custody ahead of a three-day sentencing hearing on February 28 next year, and granted bail to Ricardo who will also be sentenced on that date.
Worley, who will be sentenced at a separate court hearing on December 14, was also released on bail.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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