Internet fraud is easy, says judge...

...as he sentences eBay UK fraudster

By Tim Richardson • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 6th December 2004 18:59 GMT

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A judge has told a court in Leicester that it's a doddle to swindle people on the net. His remarks came as he sentenced Sara Hambridge, 28, from Leicester, who netted more than £3,000 when she sold non-existent tickets to the Glastonbury festival via eBay.

When the punters complained the tickets hadn't arrived, she insisted she'd posted them - although she later owned up to the scam. Because of ill health, Hambridge received a nine-month suspended sentence, according to the BBC.

Sentencing the former payroll clerk, Judge Richard Bray said: "There may be certain safeguards that I have not been told about, but that appears to be the case and you took advantage of that. "These trusting people, they get on the internet and they ask for a ticket and they send a cheque without any knowledge of who they are sending it to. Provided you don't have fraud against you on eBay, you are all right as a fraudster. You can get on and sell anything you like."

eBay insists just a tiny fraction of the transactions that take place via its site are fraudulent, but it is facing increasing pressure to do more to stamp out fraud.

Last month The Register reported just how easy it is for scammers to run rings round eBay while in the US, eight people were told to pay $90,000 (£48,575) after admitting they artificially inflated the price of their goods in an eBay auction by bidding themselves. ®