Detention for online scam

Judge Alayne Wills said court documents suggested Redmond was likely to reoffend. Photo / APN

A man who pocketed more than $10,000 pretending to sell items on Trade Me is yet to pay back his victims and is likely to reoffend, a judge said when he was sentenced.

Maketu man Frank Redmond received terms of community detention and community work and was ordered to pay reparation when he appeared in the Tauranga District Court last week.

Redmond, 47, was found guilty on nine counts of accessing a computer for dishonest purposes after a defended hearing in September.

Redmond - while operating under the Trade Me user name Xebabb - sold $10,430 of vases, plates and crystalware on the auction site to nine complainants between October 8 and 22, 2009. Some paid more than $1400 for goods they never received.

Judge Alayne Wills said at last week's hearing court documents suggested Redmond was likely to reoffend.

"There are a number of aggravating factors in this case," she said.

"The online auction site you used relies on the integrity of the seller and purchaser, but more particularly the seller, because the funds are paid in anticipation of goods being sent.

"These purchasers trusted you and you have abused that basic trust."

Defence counsel John Holmes asked for a penalty of community work, as his client had no previous convictions.

"The sum of money is serious to each of the victims, and their part in this needs to be recognised, but the amount [of money] does not bring it up to an indictable amount."

Mr Holmes said Redmond tried to sell a property, with plans to pay his victims in full by mid-April. But the property did not meet the market rate and "it has left him with no funds to make payment".

Redmond was sentenced to five months' community detention and 280 hours' community work, and ordered to make payments of $50 a week to each of his victims from March 1.

Trade Me manager of trust and safety Chris Budge said trust in its online marketplace was important.

"We believe most people are honest, and that is borne out as 99.99 per cent of all transactions go through without problems.

"Trade Me is actually a really dumb place to do something dodgy, as it is the country's most transparent marketplace."

- APN