HMRC worked with Indonesian cybercrime police to track down and arrest the 36-year-old in a remote village – a 12-hour drive from Medan, the capital of North Sumatra.

The man, who has not been named, now faces up to 12 years in prison for selling website phishing kits that targeted UK taxpayers.

He posted more than 3,000 adverts in just a year promoting the illegal spoofing software on social media channels and crime forums for up to $250 (£200) each.

The software mimicked genuine webpages of major websites in the UK, including HMRC, Royal Mail and TV Licensing. HMRC is the third most scammed website after the NHS and TV Licensing.