The sentencing follows investigation and arrest by specialist banking industry sponsored police unit, the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) who received information from intelligence firm WMC Global about a suspect selling phishing kits online.

DCPCU worked collaboratively with other European jurisdictions, including Europol as part of an international operation to combat cyber enabled fraud, under the name Op Phishoff.

Between 2021 and 2023, Ollie Holman, 20, sold specialised phishing kits to fraudsters online which were programmed to mimic the websites of genuine institutions, such as banks, charities, and government organisations. 

The websites would then be used by fraudsters to obtain banking and personal information from victims and harvest the details to defraud the victim. 

In one instance, a kit programmed to mimic a charity’s website included an identical ‘donation’ page to the real organisation’s website. Victims would enter their card details, but instead of donating to the charity, their card details were captured and harvested for the fraudster to use. 

In addition to selling the kits, Holman offered tutorials on how to use the kits, collecting almost 700 online connections. Holman would also provide custom made panels based on the buyer's request, and proceeds from sales were further laundered through cryptocurrency wallets.

In total, Holman received £300,000 from selling these kits but the cost of fraud directly to consumers could be at least £100 million. The phishing kits distributed have been identified across Europe, with one deployer defrauding victims of around one million euros. 

Through the police’s investigation, they were able to find the kits on Holman’s computer and match his digital fingerprints to the creation of the phishing kits.

Detective Seargent Ben Hurley said:

Holman enabled mass fraud to occur on a global scale by selling software to other criminals to help them to steal money from innocent victims.

“The fraud losses linked to Holman’s actions are in the millions. Furthermore, Holman himself profited massively from the sale of this software, with no thought for how it may cause harm to victims.

“The police, in collaboration with the banking industry, worked tirelessly to bring Holman to justice, and we’re glad that his criminal activities have been firmly stopped. We will continue to work hard to bring those who profit off fraud to justice.

"A special thanks to our intelligence partners WMC Global, who played a vital role in helping to identify Holman.