Net fraudster sells junk phone for $500

Jarred John Boyle, 21, farm hand, was convicted of causing loss by deception and received a fine and was ordered to pay reparation and complete 80 hours' community work.

Selling a smartphone through Facebook Jarred John Boyle sent the buyer a totally different broken and unusable Huiwei mobile phone instead.

Appearing before Judge Jill Moss in Masterton District Court on Thursday, the 21-year-old pleaded guilty to causing loss by deception.

In July Boyle advertised the iPhone 5S for sale valued at $500 and was soon contacted by the victim who genuinely believed it was an iPhone 5S and they brokered a deal for $400, the summary provided to the Times-Age states.

The next day Boyle sent the unsuspecting buyer a photograph of the packaged cellphone and the parcel's tracking number which led the victim to believe the phone had been posted and they immediately banked the money into Boyle's bank account.

However, when the parcel arrived the next day it was a totally different phone than the one portrayed by Boyle.

It was a broken Huiwei mobile phone with no battery.

When Judge Moss asked Boyle whether he had any fines owing to the court, the dairy farm assistant told the judge he had "about $25,000" owing which he said he was paying off at $30 weekly.

She then convicted Boyle and ordered the court to deduct $100 weekly from his wages for fines.

He was also ordered to pay $400 reparation to the victim and to complete 80 hours' community work.