Three men who defrauded a major online ecommerce company out of thousands of pounds in a sophisticated refund scam have been sentenced.

Watford teenager Jonathan Bieseman, of Osborne Road, previously pleaded in June to one count of fraud by false representation and one count of aiding, abetting, counselling and procuring fraud by false representation.

The 18-year-old was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, at Isleworth Crown Court on July 24.

He was also ordered to complete 120 hours of community service and pay £1,200 in compensation.

James Hulse, 19, of Woodhead Way, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding, abetting, counselling and procuring fraud by false representation, and two counts of money laundering.

He was sentenced to a 12 month Community Order, 120 hours of community service, and ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation.

A 17-year-old boy from Hertfordshire, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation and one count of possession of a controlled article for use in fraud. He has been referred to the Juvenile Court for sentencing.

In June 2016, an internal investigation alerted the company to the scam. Jonathan Bieseman was identified as offering a fraudulent refund service in return for a payment, advertising his service in an online gaming forum.

The findings of the internal investigation were handed to the Metropolitan Police in August 2016 and a criminal investigation was launched.

Further investigation by FALCON, the Met’s response to Fraud and Linked Crime Online, established that between July 2015 and October 2016, Bieseman had gained several thousand pounds into his personal bank account from “customers” using his fraudulent refund service.

Bieseman and the 17-year-old, engaged in a similar fraudulent activity, used Hulse to launder the “fees” they earned through his online payment account.

DC Gavin Beaney from FALCON said: “Today’s sentences are the culmination of a complex investigation by the Met Police and the online retailer, and demonstrate how seriously we take online fraud.

“These three young men chose to engage in criminal activity and are now convicted criminals, something which will no doubt affect their future prospects for years to come.”