A 31-year-old Melbourne man has been sentenced to two years in prison for cyber-enabled identity theft offences, including the use of fraudulent documents to establish online cryptocurrency accounts. The sentencing took place at the Melbourne County Court on Monday.
AFP Detective Superintendent Tim Stainton highlighted the serious implications of identity theft for victims, stating,
“The theft of someone’s identity can have serious implications for victims and is a serious criminal offence punishable by significant time in prison. A stolen identity and the use of associated fraudulent documentation can have a devastating impact on people’s lives if sold online or used for criminal purposes.”
The conviction followed an international investigation into a website selling fraud-enabling technology, responsible for over $1 million in stolen funds from Australian victims. The AFP’s Operation Stonefish was launched in August 2022 after UK authorities began investigating a website offering spoofing services for as little as £20.
The case came to light when a NSW-based victim reported identity theft via Report Cyber, an Australian Government website. The victim discovered a bank account had been created without consent. Subsequent AFP inquiries identified the Melbourne man had used fraudulent driver licences, incorporating real victims’ details with his own image, to set up accounts on two cryptocurrency platforms.
In November 2022, AFP officers executed a search warrant at the man’s Boronia address, seizing numerous items including:
- A blank Victorian driver’s licence with no name, photo or licence number.
- A number of false NSW driver licences containing a photograph of the offender but the names of other people.
- A People’s Republic of China passport and an Australian passport, which had been reported as lost.
- A Medicare card, cryptocurrency exchange cards and a debit card in the names of other people.
Officers also found an encrypted messaging platform open on the man’s computer with conversations about identity-based crime, as well as manuals on creating false identity documents. During the search, the man failed to provide correct access codes to his mobile phone, laptop, and tablet device.
The Melbourne man was convicted of several offences, including providing false or misleading information, dealing with proceeds of crime, producing and possessing false documents, and failing to comply with a section 3LA order of the Commonwealth Crimes Act 1914. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of ten months.
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