£100k conman to pay back just £1.00!

[birdy]

AND THEY SAY HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY!

AN internet fraudster who duped eBay customers out of more than £100,000 has been ordered to pay back just £1.

Conman Phillip Shortman, 22 — nicknamed "EBAY BOY" by cops — lived a luxury lifestyle from selling non-existent items on the auction site.

He went on a five-star holidays to New York, hired stretch limos for pals and bought expensive designer clothes.

Dozens of victims across Britain demanded their money back as Shortman was jailed for 30 months for a series of 16 frauds.

This week he faced a £7,000 confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act but a court heard he has spent every penny of his five-year internet crime spree.

Newport Crown Court in South Wales was told that two previous confiscation orders for a total of £95,000 had been unsuccessful.

Prosecutor John Warren said: "The situation is that Shortman has no assets and cannot pay any money back."

Judge David Morris ordered Shortman, who was taken to court from prison, to pay a nominal £1 — or face an extra seven days in jail.

He told him that because he has no assets his £102,000 debt was effectively being wiped out.

But the judge warned if he comes into money after his release he could face further action to recover his customers' losses.

Dad-of-two Shortman was just 17 when he started advertising goods on eBay which did not exist from the bedroom of his home in Cwmbran, South Wales, where he lived with his parents.

His scams included selling non-existent Six Nations rugby tickets, computer games, computer graphic cards and a PlayStation 3 console.

He used the proceeds of his crime to fly first class to New York, staying in a five-star hotel overlooking Times Square.

He hired stretch limos for nights out in Cardiff with his teenage pals and liked to dress in expensive designer gear.

After being alerted by eBay, police raided his home and found it stacked with top-of-the-range computer gear, hi-fis and flat screen TVs.

But despite being arrested and released on bail he continued to con customers.

[destinationx]

watta scamzter woah!

[phantom]

crime doesn't pay right ?

[azza12342]

Lol he should file bankrupcy :).

[TayneC8]

He should pay back all the money, I mean just £1! Thats mad.

[stalker]

I think that's a shame to the crime branch. I mean a person scamming for 100K euros can get away for just 1 euro? That might encourage other scammers!

[Damien]

not justice is there.