Judges in the US have sentenced an internet fraudster to 12 years in prison after he was found guilty of making $100,000 from hundreds of unsuspecting netizens.

The sentence is thought to be one of the stiffest ever for web fraud. Thomas Houser defrauded at least 268 internet shoppers by selling fake items on auction sites such as eBay and Yahoo!, according to reports.

Prosecutors of the case in Norfolk, Virginia said the items up for sale never actually existed.

The sentence marks a continuing trend toward harsher penalties for cybercrime in the US.

Earlier this week the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favour of a Bill calling for life sentences for malicious hackers.