Australian faces four years in jail for £3mn email scam

By Matt Whipp

Posted on 8 Nov 2004 at 12:02

A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to at least four years behind bars for his part in an email scam that netted him AU$ 5mn (£2.94mn).

Nick Marinellis, from Sydney, was allegedly the Australian head of the so-called Nigerian or West African scam, where email was spammed out suggesting the recipient had unclaimed lottery winnings, inheritance and business opportunities they could claim if they sent off a sum to cover administration.

Marinellis pleaded guilty in a court in New South Wales, Australia to ten counts of fraud and one count of perverting the course of justice. Judge Barry Mahoney sentenced Marinellis to five years and three months jail with a non-parole period of four years and four months.

The investigation leading to the arrest revealed an office complex in Nottingham, UK, a AU$970,000 house in Sydney, seven other properties in the NSW area, five cars, several bank accounts and other properties.

'Conmen like Marinellis are fleecing internet users out of millions around the world,' said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. 'Stiff sentences send a strong message to others considering committing similar crimes to think again.'