Matthew Phillips took money from customers in Britain and the US

Matthew Phillips, 22, from Bonvilston, Vale of Glamorgan, admitted six charges of obtaining property by deception at Cardiff Crown Court.

He asked for seven other charges to be taken into consideration.

Judge Christopher Vosper said temptation was too much for Phillips, who has a first class honours degree.

"You offered items for sale on eBay you did not have," said Judge Vosper.

"You are a young man of some intelligence who discovered a simple way of making cash and the temptation to resist was too much for you."

'Full responsibility'

The court heard that Phillips, who took money from both American and British customers, turned to Ebay crime after his parents divorced and stopped paying for his education.

Bob Hawkins, defending, said: "He found himself without the financial cushion he had become used to.

"He takes full responsibility for what he did but the human side of what he did was perhaps not obvious to him.

"The computer was a barrier between him looking into the eyes of his potential victims."

The court heard that Phillips had a previous conviction for selling fake Microsoft software on the internet.