Details of loved-up SA computer hackers ‘staggering’ $18m fraud revealed in court

This SA couple’s computer virus stripped $18m from Aussie businesses – all to fund their daily meth and fantasy habits. Now the “ staggering scale” of their scam is revealed.

A hacking scheme that allowed an Adelaide couple to help steal $18 million from businesses around the country is “staggering in scale” and “needs to be seen to be believed”, a court has heard.

For the first time, the District Court has heard details of Jason Bran Lees and Emily Jane Walker’s “systemic, targeted, highly sophisticated and considerably organised” 18-month fraud spree.

Prosecutors revealed Lees was the scam’s “architect” who wrote a computer virus and infected numerous small businesses, primarily in regional areas, with it.

The program redirected every business’ payroll to bank accounts Walker had fraudulently created using the personal details of their 20,000 staff members – also stolen by Lees.

Walker used her book-keeping skills to maintain thousands of spreadsheets charting the accounts, deposits and withdrawals that stood to net the couple a potential $1.15 million share of the thefts.

Their motivation was not to live extravagant lifestyles but to fund raging drug habits that saw them consume both methylamphetamine and fantasy on a daily basis.

Despite their confessions, the couple on Monday fought efforts to seize all of their digital devices, saying they would lose “precious personal memories”.

Emily Walker and Jason Lees kiss outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court stole $18m from businesses around the country, a court heard. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Judge Joanne Tracey was unmoved.

“Lees is a computer expert, he’s an IT whiz – hasn’t he put them in the Cloud?” she asked.

Lees, 33, Walker, 29 both of Seaton, pleaded guilty to multiple online fraud charges including possessing a computer virus to commit serious dishonesty offences.

They and their NSW-based co-offender, Adam Jones, broke into the systems of businesses, stole staff’s personal data and diverted their funds to hundreds of false bank accounts.

Their highly-lucrative scam was powered by a computer virus and hundreds of disposable mobile phone SIM cards, with the money laundered via cryptocurrency.

Jones, who is originally from Adelaide, is already serving an 11-year prison term.

On Monday, the court heard dozens of victim impact statements from business owners and staff whose money and identities were stolen.

Emily Walker and Jason Lees outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court in February 2021. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Some said they were “horrified, furious, shocked and confused” at having been violated so easily and feared for their future financial security.

Others detailed the fraud’s “catastrophic” effects upon their reputations, commercial relationships and retirement plans, and called for harsh punishment.

However James Watson, prosecuting, said the crime could have been even worse.

“Were it not for the significant efforts of SA Police, it’s entirely possible that this offending would have gone on undetected,” he said.

“This was systemic, targeted, highly sophisticated, well thought-out and staggering in its potential... the information stolen needs to be seen to be believed.”

Counsel for Lees and Walker said their clients were “genuinely remorseful” over, and apologised for, their addiction-driven crimes now they had emerged from their “drug haze”.

Judge Tracey remanded Lees in custody, and Walker on continuing bail, for sentencing in February.