Local teen is named as architect of £12m. scam

Saturday 7th August 2010, 2:30PM BST.

A GUERNSEY teenager accused of masterminding a £12m. bank fraud from an internet web crime forum was remanded in custody yesterday.

Nicholas Webber, 18, pictured, is said to have run GhostMarket.Net, which specialised in online fraud including bank account hacking, viruses, using stolen credit cards on eBay, wire cash and call phone sex lines.

In linked frauds, victims’ personal computers worldwide were sapped of confidential data including passwords to drain around 65,000 bank accounts of an estimated £8m., prosecutors claimed at a City of Westminster Magistrate’s Court hearing yesterday.

Matthew McCabe, prosecuting, alleged that details from 100,000 credit cards were found on Mr Webber’s computer.

‘That represents a potential loss to credit card companies of approximately £12m.,’ he said.