Plasma TVs, printers, vacuum cleaners: Britain's worst internet con artist promised them all, but delivered nothing. And the day after he was convicted, he was at it again. Andrew Johnson reports

 

He is the boy con artist who just can't help himself. On Tuesday, he was told by a judge to expect jail after he was revealed as one of the country's biggest internet fraudsters, funding a £250,000 champagne lifestyle by advertising bogus products.

On Wednesday, the teenager, just 13 when his fraud spree began, was at it again. He sat down at his computer in his bedroom in Chiswick, west London, and began a new scam.

 

The previous day, the boy, now 16, had admitted 16 charges of fraud totalling £50,000 and asked for a further 105 charges worth £135,000 to be taken into account.

 

Balham Youth Court heard how he conned thousands of pounds out of internet bargain hunters and newspaper readers by advertising non-existent vacuum cleaners, plasma televisions and printers at hugely discounted prices.

 

He spent the money on prostitutes, expensive bars, international travel and horse riding. He even tried to buy a private jet.

Described by police as arrogant and an "outrageous snob" - he said public transport was for "commoners" - he set up numerous websites under the name of a holding company, offering stationery, an escort service and a dating agency.

Details of his websites, at least one of which is still operating, cannot be revealed as this would lead to his identification, which is not permitted because of his age.

 

However, consumer chatrooms are alive with disgruntled customers complaining about his scams.

Just before Christmas, he placed adverts in national newspapers, including The Independent, some offering Dyson vacuum cleaners for £99. Hundreds of readers sent cheques and bank account details. When the goods didn't arrive, he would string them along, offering a refund in 120 days if the products still failed to show up. He even answered critics in the chatrooms and posed as satisfied customers.

 

Incredibly, the day after admitting the frauds on Tuesday, he was at it again.

Ron Davis, the chief executive of Shops (the Safe Home Ordering Protection Scheme), which reimburses newspaper readers who are conned by adverts, said the boy had written to at least two national newspapers asking for clearance to place new adverts.

His email, dated 2 May, says: "Sorry for the delay in getting this over to you. Below are our details." It then gives the name of a legitimate stationery company in the Midlands, complete with company number. But all is revealed when he says the company is "trading as" and gives the name of his bogus company and his home address.

 

"We received a number of complaints after Christmas and I spoke to him a number of times," said Mr Davis, who expects to pay £15,000 in compensation. "He was rather dismissive. He was clearly giving me information made up off the top of his head and was clearly lying. He tried to string people along. The thing is, he's still at it. He's using the same tactics."

 

The boy was warned by the court that he faces jail when he is sentenced later this month. He was first arrested in October 2004 but was granted bail and continued to sell his phantom products over the following two years.

"It was like he was addicted to conning people," one police source said.

 

The court also heard that the boy's mother had died of cancer when he was 13, and this triggered his crime spree. He went to live with his grandmother in Chiswick and invested a £16,000 inheritance in setting up his "business". He spent some of the money on crime books about conmen.

 

Internet bargain hunters weren't his only victims. He employed several people as assistants, recruited through job centres, but failed to pay them. Claire Young, 26, from Mortlake in south-west London, was the boy's personal assistant until the court case and is owed £4,000 in back pay.

 

"He used to take me to a polo club and expensive bars in the City," she said. "He would take his friends along, saying he would pay for everything. I just thought he was a very generous boss. I feel a fool because he was conning me. He always managed to convince me when I asked for my money."

 

Sounds like the perfect material to be a Labour MP

 

Reading between the lines though if he can be "cured" then the kid has excellent potential as a businessman, Richard Branson made his first fortune defrauding the VAT people and had to pay £155,000 in VAT in the early 70's and now look at him