A prolific computer hacker has been jailed for 10 years and eight months for stealing financial data and passwords belonging to tens of thousands of people in order to sell the information on the dark web.
Grant West, 26, sent “phishing” emails, designed to look as if they came from legitimate businesses, to target customers of more than 100 companies including Sainsbury’s, Just Eat, Ladbrokes, and Argos.
He also sold cannabis and ‘how to guides’ of potential use to other hackers and fraudsters.
He was jailed today (Wednesday, May 25) at Southwark Crown Court after admitting offences including money laundering and conspiracy to defraud at a hearing on 14 December 2017.
West’s girlfriend Rachael Brookes, 26, was sentenced earlier this month to a community order after admitting one offence of unauthorised access to computer data.
Sarah Jennings, of the CPS, said: “This prosecution was able to prove that Grant West was the prolific cyber hacker known as Courvoisier. West was caught by police conducting attacks on company websites.
“He sold the lists of financial information to make money and even used stolen credit card details to pay for holidays, food and shopping.
“In the end, West had no alternative but to plead guilty due to the overwhelming evidence.”
Source: Crown Prosecution Service
Note: AP reports that police seized half a million pounds ($667,000) worth of bitcoin from West.