eBay fake game seller loses £4500

AN eBay trader who made thousands of pounds from selling fake computer games online has been forced to pay back every penny.

Sai Hin Ho, trading as "eddietheduck", had almost 500 counterfeit PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Gameboy games seized in a joint raid between police and trading standards officers at his home on Ferry Road Grove, Pilton.

The 30-year-old was given 120 hours community service, and the sheriff said he would have to pay back the £4500 he made through selling fake games to eBay bidders.

The council's trading standards officers were alerted to Ho's scam after receiving a complaint about the goods he was offering for sale on the internet auction site.

In addition to the games, officers seized equipment for making and selling the counterfeit products when they raided his flat.

The fraudster appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on April 18 faced with charges under the Trade Marks Act 1994.

A council spokeswoman said Ho may have made over £10,000 if officers had not taken action.

She said: "Evidence seized by Trading Standards showed that Mr Ho had already benefited from the sale of counterfeit goods to the tune of at least £4500.

"If he had been able to sell the games that Trading Standards seized then he would have made a further £7000."

A spokesman for the Crown Office said money obtained through illegal means would be seized and put into the Scottish Consolidation Fund - which is put back into the community where crimes have taken place.

The cash will be recovered by the Financial Crime Unit of the Crown Office, after Ho appears at Edinburgh Sheriff Court again on May 3. If he is unable to pay up, he could be forced to sell assets such as a car or house.

City environment leader Bob Cairns said: "Selling counterfeit goods doesn't just cheat consumers but also costs UK companies millions of pounds and hundreds of jobs every year. We are therefore pleased to see that the court took seriously the offences committed by Mr Ho.

"The action taken should serve as a strong warning that Trading Standards in Edinburgh will continue to actively target the sale of counterfeit goods whether those goods are sold on the internet, at markets, or on the streets."

A police spokesman said: "The public think they are just handing over a small amount of money, but often this money is then channelled into criminal networks.

"It is not just a matter of a few pounds, it can often be a lucrative trade funding other criminal activity."

A spokeswoman for eBay said: "eBay is one of the worst places to commit fraud, due to the open and transparent nature of the listings and the traceability of the transactions which take place. We would encourage anyone who spots fraudulent activity to report it immediately to the Police, and eBay via our safety centre."

Ho was not available for comment.