Ebay scammer gets bail - Police shocked

By Dave Murray @ Wednesday, July 09, 2008 9:43 AM

Section - Business/Legal

Coppers down under were miffed when an alleged Ebay scammer, whom they were certain would get remanded in custody, was bailed by magistrates.

Chun Fai Tsang, 26, appeared in Hornsby Local Court today charged with two counts of obtaining a benefit by deception.
Police opposed bail while Chun was awaiting trial because they claimed he was suspected of stealing AU$150,000 from 90 other victims, and was extremely likely to try to skip the country.

Chun was arrested for advertising two laptop computers for sale on Ebay, but failing to give them to the winning bidders, who transferred AU$1,500 and AU$1,300 into his account. In the end an online club of Chun's victims gathered evidence on him and handed it over to the police. More than 90 other charges are being considered.

There were other reasons why Chun should not go free, state prosecutor Mick Crowther told the court. He was only in Australia on a bridging visa and had no fixed address. He was living in a car and his only guaranteed source of income was his Ebay scam, Crowther told magistrate Les Brennan.

But defence lawyer Bill Dickins said Chung was only facing two charges, and would live with an uncle if bailed. If the police thought that he was responsible for 90 other offences they should have charged him with them.

The magistrate released Tsang on AU$5,000 bail and ordered him to surrender his passport. X

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