Biggest credit card fraudster jailed

Philip Cumming, an ex-pat Brit living in Cartersville, Georgia was handed out the sentence at yesterday in a New York courtroom after pleading guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and fraud offences last September. Cummings stole over 30,000 credit histories from Long Island-based Telecommunications Inc. where he worked as a help desk employee.

He then sold the histories to criminal gangs based in Nigeria for $30 a time. The gangs then used the histories to apply for credit cards, loans and bank accounts. Losses from the scam have been estimated at $50-$100 million.

Presiding US District Judge George Daniels turned down pleas from the defence to go easy on the morbidly obese Cumming saying he had a heart condition. The defendant is currently on bail but will have to report to prison on 9th March. He is also due to pay compensation to be agreed at a later date.