An internet fraudster has been jailed for his part in a multi-million pound scam which targeted over 10,000 credit cards.

Vincent Alonge, from Inner Park Road in Wimbledon, was part of a trio of Nigerian conmen who compromised over 900 bank accounts in what is believed to be the first prosecutions of so-called ‘phishing’ scams.

Victims were sent emails asking them to visit one of 40 bogus web sites set up in order to confirm their bank account or debit/credit card details.

This allowed the three men to defraud more than an estimated £3.1m.

David Levy, a lawyer for the CPS’s Central Fraud Group, said: "These men profited enormously by taking advantage of the trust that many of us would place in an internet service that appeared genuine, but their enjoyment of their ill-gotten gains was short-lived.

He added: "Those who use the internet thinking they can phish with impunity should be warned by this case that you will be found out and you will be prosecuted."

On Friday (July 8), Alonge was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court for two-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty in May to possessing a fake identity and articles for use in fraud.

His associates, Ayodeji Kareem of Daniel Gardens, Peckham, and Babatunde Fafore, of County Meath, Ireland, also pleaded guilty and were each sentenced to more than five years in prison.

Detective Inspector Colin Wetherill, of the Metropolitan Police’s Central e-Crime Unit which led the investigation, said the convictions represented a significant step forward in the fight against internet crime.

Got a story for us? Leave a comment below, call 020 8722 6333 or email: newsdesk@wimbledonguardian.co.uk.