Four private investigators jailed for ‘blagging’

Philip Campbell Smith, a private investigator who is alleged to have hacked emails on behalf of the News of the World, was today jailed for eight months on separate charges of “blagging” information from the Police National Computer, HM Revenue and Customs and Interpol.

Campbell Smith, 53, a former British Army Intelligence officer had admitted offences of fraud.

Kingston Crown Court heard that he and three co-defendants, including a former Metroplitan Police detective, used a range of deceptive techniques to obtain bank account and mortgage details, medical records and information from the Police National Computer.

The information was then sold to clients including solicitors, insurance companies and foreign exchange brokers

The four men, including Graham Freeman, 51, Campbell Smith’s business partner, were sentenced in what was the first case of its kind to be prosecuted as a criminal fraud rather than a data protection offence.

There is more on this story at:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/9108582/Four-private-investigators-jailed-for-blagging.html

About The Author

Mark Hodgson is the Managing Director of Tremark Associates, one of the UK’s leading providers of investigative services. Mark has 30 years experience in private Investigations and the commercial debt recovery industries. He is Vice President of the Association of British Investigators, a member of the World Association of Detectives, The Institute of Credit Management and an associate member of R3 -The Association of Business Recovery Profession.