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A 36-year-old man, convicted of deception charges, was sentenced to 26 months' imprisonment at the District Court today (March 4).

The court heard that the defendant hacked into a number of email accounts from cyber cafes in the Mainland and then used these email accounts to purchase laptop computers and digital cameras through two auction websites in Hong Kong.

Police received more than 30 reports of online deceptions incidents between January 22, 2002 and November 1, 2003. Most of the victims were auctioneers of the two auction websites.

They all received bounced cheques and false receipts bearing the name of a company from the defendant during face-to-face transactions.

It was believed that the defendant had purchased twelve laptop computers and two digital cameras at a total value of $82,801 from the victims.

Acting on the reports, Technology Crime Division of the Commercial Crime Bureau (TCD/CCB) put up dummy auctions on the auction sites since July 2003.

The defendant approached the TDC/CCB officers through the dummy auction websites and agreed to buy a laptop computer. The officers subsequently arrested him during a face-to-face transaction at the Prince Edward Mass Transit Railway Station on November 18, 2003.

The man was charged with 14 counts of obtaining property by deception, one count of using false instrument, and one count of possession of forged identity card.

He pleaded guilty to all the charges and was sentenced to 26 months' imprisonment today.

Police Report No. 5

Issued by PPRB

End/2200 hours, Thursday, March 4, 2004 (EH/TK)

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