Police investigate angry eBayer's revenge site

Met called in laptop dispute

By Chris Williams • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 31st May 2006 14:52 GMT

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Police are investigating a disgruntled eBayer who took online revenge after paying £375 for a laptop which, he said, did not work.

The buyer recovered the hard drive from the malfunctioning notebook, finding it full of personal details, allegedly including access to email accounts, 90 voyeuristic leg shots taken on the London Underground and gay porn. He posted the material on a website, naming and shaming Barnet 19-year-old Amir Tofangsazan as the seller.

Clearly, someone doesn't see the funny side. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said Barnet police are investigating a complaint made on 29 May at Fulham police station regarding improper use of a public electronic communications network. She added: "The allegation follows from a civil dispute. No arrests have been made and inquiries continue."

At time of writing the site had clocked up almost 950,000 hits. A dismayed Amir told the Daily Mail the website had made his life a "living hell", and that his family had received threats. He said: "The laptop wasn't even broken. It was in working order. The last few days have been a nightmare, some of my friends have seen it and my father is very angry."

Amir said he had not received any "polite requests" for a refund. On his revenge site the buyer counters: "This site is 100 per cent genuine, I swear I'm not making anything up."

Amir told the Daily Mail: "I will obviously be trying to get the website taken down as soon as possible." In the meantime, the site is available here.®

Bootnote

The buyer has been named as Thomas Sawyer, a 23-year-old student from Exeter. He offers to pull the site sown voluntarily in exchange for a refund.

Meanwhile, The Daily Mail reports that Amir allegedly pulled a similar scam on Newport Pagnell woman Debbie McInerney, who says she paid him £147 for an iPod which never arrived. Amir said: "The police are investigating the iPod case and I can't comment on it."

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