Hacker could face 40 years in jail

A Spaniard suspected of stealing thousands of Euros by hacking into bank accounts could face 40 years in jail, after being extradited to Madrid.

José Manuel García Rodríguez, aged 24, was deported from Buenos Aires in Argentina last week and now faces trial by Spanish authorities for stealing online banking passwords and hacking into accounts.

García Rodríguez, nicknamed the Fat Spaniard (el Gordo España) by his neighbours, has nine international arrest warrants out against him.

Spain's biggest ever hacking suspect was accompanied to Madrid's Barajas airport by two Interpol officers and could face 40 years in prison if proven guilty, says Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at IT security firm Sophos.

'It's encouraging to see international authorities working closely together across continents to bring computer criminals to justice. If found guilty, el Gordo España could soon be on a prison diet of bread and water,' said Cluley.

The hacker also known as 'Tasmania' fled Spain two years ago after police accused him of stealing online bank accounts and breaking into accounts.

Cluley added: 'Criminals are stealing fortunes from online bank accounts, and all internet users need to be properly protected to ensure that their confidential passwords and usernames are not falling into the hands of hackers.'