Computer whizz who wrote program to steal personal details of 8 MILLION people, including 400 PayPal accounts, facing jail
- Edward Pearson accessed credit card numbers of 400 PayPal customers
- Had personal details of millions more people
- His girlfriend tried to pay for luxury hotel stays with stolen PayPal details
By Daily Mail UK
Last updated at 6:14 PM on 17th February 2012
A computer expert who 'plotted a £350,000 fraud' is facing jail today after admitting he stole the personal details of more than eight million people.
Edward Pearson, 23, also admitted he illegally obtained the credit card details of 400 PayPal customers in an 18-month scam.
His 21-year-old sociology student girlfriend also admitted trying to pay for luxury hotel stays using the stolen PayPal details.
Stolen: Edward Pearson admitted to obtaining the credit card details of 400 PayPal customers (file picture)
Cassandra Mennim pleaded guilty to obtaining services dishonestly after admitting telling staff at two luxury York hotels she would make payments of around £700 using stolen credit card details.
Pearson, originally from Blandford Forum, Dorset, admitted three counts relating to fraud offences.
He confessed to having access to more than 400 compromised PayPal accounts and the illegally obtained personal details of more than eight million people.
Pearson wrote the two pieces of software used to accumulate the vast amount of data discovered on the computers.
Prosecutors have previously stated that Pearson plotted with Miss Mennim to pull off a £350,000 fraud.
The couple appeared side by side in the dock at Southwark Crown Court this morning.
Pearson pleaded guilty to one count of possession of articles for use in fraud and two counts of making or adapting an article for use in frauds.
Mennim, dressed in black suit and blue top, pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining services dishonestly after the court heard she targeted the Cedar Court Grand Hotel and Lady Anne Middleton’s Hotel, both in York.
All the offences were carried out between January 1, 2010, and August 30, 2011.
Pearson's girlfriend Cassandra Mennim tried to pay for a luxury hotel stay at the Cedar Court Grand Hotel in York
Mennim also used PayPal details to tell staff she would pay for an expensive stay at Lady Anne Middleton's Hotel, in York
Pearson and Mennim were originally charged with conspiracy to commit fraud between the same dates and conspiracy to supply drugs, but today entered not guilty pleas to the two counts.
It was alleged that the couple had plotted with ‘others unknown’ to defraud banks, credit card companies and PayPal by ‘dishonestly obtaining banking details over the internet’.
The couple were also said to have been dealing in the drug MDVP, also known as ‘super cocaine’.
Pearson pleaded not guilty to a further count of making, supplying or obtaining articles for use in an offence.
Prosecutor David Hughes said: ‘Those pleas have been the subject of some discussion and they are acceptable to the Crown.
‘The position is that not guilty pleas have been entered to counts one, two and four and the Crown are content to leave these on the file.’
The pair, who were arrested at the flat they shared by North Yorkshire Police last year, will be sentenced next month.
PayPal was Hacked-400 Accounts info. Stolen
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