Stock Exchange Web Master Linked To Credit Card Fraud

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday March 16, 2006

Natasha Wallace

A MAN who allegedly stole credit card details off the internet and with his girlfriend sold phantom items on eBay.com and Sold.com, defrauding people of thousands of dollars, is a web master at the Australian Stock Exchange.

Yesterday, Leanne Gail Emanuel, 24, was sentenced in the NSW District Court to periodic detention of two years and three months, with a non-parole period of one year, after pleading guilty to 20 fraud offences totalling $36,661. The unemployed Wollongong mother of two, who was accused of defrauding bidders of $135,000, spent the money on clothing, jewellery and holidays.

But her former boyfriend, Luke Peterson, then a computer science student, was named in court as the person who hacked into a web-hosting service to obtain credit card details which the pair used to set up bank accounts to sell mostly mobile phones and computers that were never delivered.

Judge Stephen Norrish, QC, said he was "extremely disappointed" that police had failed to obtain a statement from Emanuel about Mr Peterson's alleged involvement, despite her sentencing having been delayed since May for that purpose.

Judge Norrish said he could not reject the possibility that Mr Peterson was involved, given his background in computing and Emanuel's lack of skill in the area.

But Mr Peterson has not been charged over the fraud involving 26 people - who have not been repaid - between September 2002 and October 2003.

When the Herald contacted Mr Peterson at the stock exchange yesterday and asked whether he had committed fraud, he said: "I'll make no comment."

Police traced an email sent to one of the victims from an account owned by Mr Peterson, the court was told. Mr Peterson denied using the account.

Emanuel told the court she was prepared to give evidence against Mr Peterson. Of some 40 times people were duped, Emanuel said, Mr Peterson was responsible for "about 10".

"We both did it, but separately. There was offences that he committed, there were offences that I committed," she said.

Her defence barrister, Bernie Niven, told the court that she had initially protected Mr Peterson.

"She felt that he had ... so much to lose. He had just completed his degree, he had just got a job and it was in that industry [computers]. She for her reasons at that particular time decided to protect him."

Emanuel suffered from depression at the time of the offences after her brother's death.

The trust and safety director of eBay Australia, Alastair MacGibbon, also a founding director of the Australian High Tech Crime Centre, said bidders were covered for up to $1500 if they use the Paypal system of payment and $375 otherwise if they have followed safety guidelines. He said fraud was a minor problem in online shopping: "Less than a fraction of a per cent of items listed will end in a fraud."

A stock exchange spokesman said it was making its own inquiries regarding Mr Peterson.

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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