'loner' paid teen to set up fake amazon website for bank details

EWAN MCGAVIN HAS BEEN JAILED 14:15, 11 Feb 2025 A computer-literate 'loner' teamed up with a teenager to create a fake Amazon website and 'target vulnerable, less tech-savvy

people' into inputting their financial details 'for criminal purposes', a court heard. Ewan McGavin paid Blaine Flatt, then aged 16, to set up an imitation site with a view to

harvesting people's banking information. A court heard that although the phishing scam never went live, it had the potential to impact and dupe a significant number of internet users.

McGavin, 31 and from Horwich, Bolton, denied any wrongdoing, but was convicted after a trial of encouraging or assisting in the creation of an article intended for fraud. Merthyr Crown Court

in south Wales heard Flatt, now 21, has already been sentenced. McGavin, the court heard, approached Flatt in 2018 and paid him more than £2,000 to create a so-called phishing website which

purported to be an Amazon webpage dealing with refunds. The site - which had the address 'amzconfimations.us' - was designed to steal people's log in credentials and

financial information such as bank card numbers, a judge heard. The pair communicated over WhatsApp, with McGavin telling Flatt they would need to be 'covert as f**k' in what they

were doing. However, the court heard there appeared to be disagreements between them over payment and the site never went up. The court heard attention was first drawn to Flatt after he was

linked to a Pinterest account containing indecent images of children. On November 19, 2020, police went to his home in Bryn Cigfran, Bridgend, and seized electronic items including iPhones,

an iPad, laptop and a hard drive. Article continues below On the devices police found more than 180 indecent and abuse images of children. Officers also discovered cannabis and WhatsApp

messages on his phone showing he was dealing the drug. In February last year, Flatt was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of

unpaid work in the community. He was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will be a registered sex offender for the same length of time. At his sentencing

hearing Flatt's barrister, Andrew Taylor, said there had been a delay in the case reaching sentencing as Flatt had absconded and was believed to be in Asia. He said his client was 16

years-old at the time the offending began and had suffered a difficult upbringing, reports WalesOnline. McGavin, of St Bride's Close, Horwich, has one previous conviction for

shoplifting from 2013, the court heard. Barrister Ian Jobling, mitigating for him, said there was 'a strangeness' to McGavin which he said came across during his trial. Mr Jobling

said McGavin had already spent time in prison on remand and invited the judge to suspend any sentence. Judge Eugene Egan said the intention of the fake Amazon website was to 'target

vulnerable, less tech-savvy people' and trick them into handing over personal information, which McGavin could then use 'for criminal purposes'. He said that from everything

he had read about McGavin, and from observing him during the trial, he had formed the impression that he was 'a bit of a loner, a bit isolated from mainstream society'. Jailing him

for 30 months, Judge Egan said McGavin had talent with computers and could use his skills to make a legitimate living. He will spend up to half of the 30 months in custody before being

released on licence. Article continues below Speaking after the sentencing, temporary detective sergeant Jack Harris, of Tarian, the southern Wales organised crime squad, urged caution with

websites. He said: "I hope this case demonstrates to cyber criminals and fraudsters operating in the UK that you will be pursued by us and brought to justice. This type of offending can

cause serious harm and distress to members of the public who are unfortunate enough to be targeted by phishing scams. "Phishing is an attempt by criminals to use scam websites or

emails to trick their victims into giving out their personal or financial information, or into downloading malicious files. The websites or emails will be made to look like they belong to

legitimate companies or organisations so that intended victims trust them."