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A 43-year-old man who had engaged in Internet auction fraud was sentenced to four months' imprisonment at Kowloon City Magistracy today (September 22).

Officers of the Technology Crime Division of the Commercial Crime Bureau mounted an operation against Internet auction fraud in May this year. Upon analysis on the information gathered in the operation, the 43-year-old man was found to have raised the ticket prices of a concert by posing as another auctinoeer to place the bid.

The man was subsequently arrested on May 28 in a residential unit in Wong Tai Sin.

After intensive investigations, the man was charged with fraud under the Theft Ordinance on June 29, 2004.

The man pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to four months' imprisonment today.

This is the first case of Internet auction fraud where the defendant was sentenced to imprisonment. Another defendant of such kind of fraud case was also convicted and fined earlier this month.

Police Report No. 1

Issued by PPRB

End/1845 hours, Wednesday, September 22, 2004 (YU/KO)

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