"His actions ended up costing the website over £1.1 million."
Hassan Butt, aged 38, of Prestwich, Greater Manchester, was jailed for 13 years on Friday, October 5, 2018, at Manchester Crown Court for his role in an eBay scam.
It was heard that he sold £1.1 million of non-existent goods on eBay leading up to the Christmas period over a space of 10 days.
His fraudulent trading happened during December 2014.
Butt had set up a company called MI Genie which he used to advertise high-priced electrical items such as mobile phones and tablets.
His company took £1.1 million of orders. However, no items were delivered and the money disappeared from the accounts of people who thought they had bought a Christmas gift.
It is estimated that around 3,000 members of the public have been the victim of Butt’s crimes.
He and business partner Taiub Amin-Dar, aged 35, of Manchester, were arrested for a string of fraudulent offences in September 2015.
Butt denied his role in the scam but he was convicted of multiple fraud offences following his trial.
Stephane Pendered, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said:
“Hassan Butt is a serial fraudster and liar whose actions in scamming money online of thousands of eBay customers ended up costing the website over £1.1 million.”
Butt was found guilty of money laundering throughout the eBay scam by conspiring with an associate to send the money abroad.
He was also convicted of fraudulently obtaining £47,000 worth of loans and credit.
When the moneylenders questioned Butt, he repeatedly told them that he was the victim of identity theft.
In another conviction relating to a £6,000 online fraud, Butt ordered expensive goods which included iPads and gold bars.
He then falsely obtained refunds by claiming that the items never arrived at his address.
Butt was also found guilty of a VAT fraud against Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs with a value of approximately £300,000.
Ms. Pendered added: “Butt tried to pin the guilt on a business associate who had left the UK but the jury did not believe his story.”
“This was a difficult case but the CPS worked with the police to comprehensively demonstrate to the jury that Butt was guilty of fraud.”
In an earlier hearing, Taiub Amin-Dar was convicted of fraud and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.
Hassan Butt was convicted of one count of money laundering, six counts of fraud by false representation, one count of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of VAT and two counts of money laundering.
He was jailed for a total of 13 years.
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