Boy duped customers on eBay out of £45,000

A boy of 17 made £45,000 by duping people on the internet auction site eBay.

He cheated more than 100 customers over 13 months by offering goods for sale that did not exist, a court heard. One victim lost £2,500. The boy spent the money on weekends in New York, limousines for nights out with his friends, expensive gadgets, designer clothes, a quad bike and computer equipment. He sent emails to people he had ripped off taunting them about how he spent their money.

The boy, from Pontypool, Gwent, admitted 21 charges of fraud amounting to £16,105 at Cwmbran youth court in South Wales.

He asked for a further 64 offences, amounting to £28,860, to be taken into consideration. He will be sentenced at Newport crown court next month.