…By Joseph Benjamin for TDPel Media.
Tejay Fletcher, the mastermind behind an online fraud shop that scammed victims out of more than £100 million, has been sentenced to over 13 years in prison.
The 35-year-old purchased extravagant items, including a £230,000 Lamborghini, two Range Rovers valued at £110,000, and an £11,000 Rolex, using the proceeds of around £2 million obtained from the iSpoof.cc website.
Fletcher founded and served as the main administrator of the website, which was dismantled last year in what became the UK’s largest fraud operation.
The platform offered criminals tools to disguise phone calls, making them appear as if they originated from trustworthy organizations like banks, enabling the fraudsters to drain victims’ bank accounts.
According to prosecutors at Southwark Crown Court, victims worldwide were defrauded of at least £100 million, with a minimum of £43 million originating from individuals in the UK.
The website accumulated approximately £3.2 million in the form of cryptocurrency Bitcoin, with Fletcher receiving the majority, approximately £2 million.
Last month, Fletcher pleaded guilty to four charges, including creating or supplying items for use in fraud, encouraging or aiding the commission of an offense, possessing criminal proceeds, and transferring criminal property.
These offenses were committed between November 30, 2020, and November 8, 2022.
During the sentencing, Judge Sally Cahill KC handed Fletcher a total prison term of 13 years and four months, emphasizing the traumatic impact on the victims.
She stated that the victims experienced damage to their businesses, financial difficulties, sleep deprivation, depression, emotional distress, and strained relationships with family members.
Judge Cahill informed Fletcher, who had 18 previous convictions for 36 offenses, that he displayed a lack of concern for the victims, adding that his belated remorse was simply regret for being apprehended rather than genuine empathy for those he harmed.
In his defense, Fletcher’s barrister, Simon Baker KC, argued that his client had no knowledge of the eventual magnitude of the fraud when he established the website.
Nevertheless, Judge Cahill told Fletcher that, like any successful enterprise, he likely failed to realize the extent of his venture’s success and profitability.