Hacker sold 78 million victims’ details on Dark Web
Grant West was jailed for 10 years after hacking the computers of 500 companies including Sainsbury’s, Uber and Groupon to steal 78 million customers’ personal data
A CYBERCROOK made more than £2million by stealing 78 million people’s details to sell on the Dark Web for Bitcoin.
Cops seized £500,000-worth of the digital currency from Grant West, 26, in the first case of its kind - but he still has a fortune hidden in off-shore accounts and crypto currencies.
West hacked the computers of 500 companies including Sainsbury’s, Uber and Groupon to steal customers’ personal data.
Undercover cops caught West accessing the Dark Web on a laptop on a first-class train carriage.
They found £25,000 in cash in his caravan in Minster-on-Sea, Kent, and half a kilo of cannabis in storage containers.
West drove a £40,000 Audi sports car and lavished thousands of pounds on womanising jaunts to Las Vegas.
While he lived it up in the US, he bought his girlfriend Rachael Brooks, 26, mother of his 19-month-old baby, a measly £40 bikini for letting him use her laptop to carry out the hacking scams.
West perpetrated a 'phishing' scam masquerading as Just Eat sending emails to 165,000 people in an attempt to gain their personal details.
He sent emails to Just Eat customers and non customers offering a ten-pound reward for completing a survey in an attempt to gain their personal details.
He admitted charges including conspiracy to defraud, dealing cannabis and money laundering.
West was jailed for ten years and eight months at Southwark crown court.
Det Chief Supt Mick Gallagher, head of the Met’s Organised Crime Command, said : “This is the first time we have seized a cryptocurrency and we are determined to remain one step ahead of cyber criminals who believe they can act with impunity.”
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