Fraudster Jailed For Fake Olympic Tickets

An Olympics fraudster has been jailed for four years for selling non-existent tickets to fans - including the parents of several competitors.

Christakis Ioannou, 44, was carrying £14,100 in euros in his shoes when Metropolitan Police detectives arrested him at Gatwick Airport.

The sum was just a fraction of what he made in a £411,889 fraud that affected parents of athletes from Greece and France, including at least one medal winner.

At Kingston Crown Court last month, Ioannou, of Catford, southeast London, admitted participating in a fraudulent business and possessing and concealing criminal property.

He set up two fake websites nearly a year ahead of the Games' opening ceremony.

Designed to look official, the sites offered for sale unlimited numbers of tickets for all Olympic events.

More than 400 people from around the world tried to buy tickets from the sites, and in five weeks alone they made more than £363,000 in sales for non-existent tickets.

Ioannou was traced through the websites to Portugal by detectives from Scotland Yard's specialist Operation Podium team.

He regularly travelled between Portugal and the UK, and was arrested as he stepped off a flight at Gatwick Airport.

The investigation uncovered bank accounts opened in Portugal by Ioannou that had been used to channel funds from both websites.

Detective Superintendent Nick Downing said: "This case clearly shows that online crime of this nature is not a victimless crime.

"Over 400 people missed out on a chance to be part of the London 2012 Olympic Games and instead were simply ripped off.

"Never buy your tickets from anywhere but the official event organisers, or those people authorised to sell on their behalf."

The total amount the websites took, which were taken into consideration by the judge in sentencing, was £411,991.63.