The mastermind behind a fraudulent call website that swindled victims out of more than £100 million has been ordered to repay only a fraction of his £2 million fortune. Tejay Fletcher, 38, from Western Gateway, London, was the founder and chief administrator of iSpoof, a platform that enabled criminals to defraud 200,000 victims of £43 million in the United Kingdom alone.
Fletcher's Profits and Lifestyle
Fletcher earned £3.175 million, or 112.6 Bitcoin, from iSpoof subscriptions, receiving the £2 million 'lion's share' of these proceeds. With his ill-gotten gains, he purchased a Lamborghini worth £230,000, two Range Rovers valued at £120,000, and an £11,000 Rolex watch. Despite these substantial earnings, the court ordered him to pay back only £404,331 of the £2 million.
Judge stated: 'I direct that he has three months to pay in light of the fact that the vast majority has essentially been secured.' Failure to comply would result in a 12-month jail sentence.
How iSpoof Operated
At its peak, iSpoof facilitated 20 calls per minute to unsuspecting victims. The site offered a caller ID 'spoof' service for a monthly subscription, allowing con artists to appear as if they were calling from a legitimate bank. Criminals would then impersonate bank employees to obtain passwords and PIN codes, subsequently emptying victims' bank accounts.
Legal Proceedings
Fletcher pleaded guilty to making or supplying articles for use in fraud, encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence, possessing criminal property, and transferring criminal property. He was sentenced to 13 years and four months in prison at Southwark Crown Court in May 2023, in what prosecutors described as the largest fraud operation ever led by the Metropolitan Police in the UK.
The prosecutor noted that iSpoof was an 'industrial fraud designed to exploit' people, with total profits of £3.175 million from selling subscriptions to fraudsters. Fletcher's share of £2 million was traced to Bitcoin holdings.
Users paid hundreds of pounds each month in Bitcoin to maintain anonymity, a hallmark of sophisticated organised criminal activity. Fletcher also operated a Telegram help desk to assist fraudsters using iSpoof, providing updates on new features and technical developments.
One Telegram message read: 'Good morning users, team iSpoof would like to wish you a great day getting to the dollar $$$'. Another stated: 'Happy New Year all. Back to work, back to get that bag. Back to stashing those Satoshi.'
Defence Arguments
Mr Simon Baker, KC, representing Fletcher, argued that his client was 'insulated from the fraud', unaware of the identities of the fraudsters or the extent of the financial losses. He acknowledged that Fletcher knew there were victims but did not witness the misery caused by his website until recently, when he was forced to confront the reality of his actions.
