A hairdresser is among a gang of 12 accused of an international i Tunes scam.

Siobhan Clarke, 23, of Limes Avenue, Carshalton, was arrested on suspicion of money laundering on June 10 in a series of police raids in London, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Kent.

Miss Clarke is accused of being part of a gang that made tens of thousands of pounds by buying their own songs through iTunes with stolen credit cards.

She was questioned along with 11 others after a joint investigation by Scotland Yard’s e-crime unit and the FBI into claims an international criminal gang had targeted the iTunes and Amazon online music stores.

The gang is alleged to have produced about 20 songs and uploaded them to be sold on the two internet sites between September 2008 and January 2009.

They then used around 1,500 stolen or cloned British and American credit cards to buy songs worth £469,000 and cream off the royalties.

Detective Chief Inspector Terry Wilson, from PCeU, said: “This has been a complex investigation to establish what we believe to be an international conspiracy to defraud Apple and Amazon.

“This investigation, with its national and international dimension, exemplifies why we have set up this national response to e-crime.

“It shows the success that can be achieved through our close working relationship with the FBI.

“We are now making it more risky for criminals who seek to exploit the Internet and commit e-crime across national borders.”

Eight men will appear on bail at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 15 charged with conspiracy to defraud.

They are: Denver White, 24, a care worker, of Helming Drive, Wolverhampton; Rajan Aheer, 20, a librarian, of Wellington Road, Wolverhampton; Craig Anderson, 23, unemployed, of Edwin Road, Dartford, Kent; Arran Jassi, 20, a postal worker, of Denmore Gardens, Wolverhampton; Sandeep Aheer, 22, unemployed, of Wellington Road, Wolverhampton; Colton Johnson, 19, unemployed, of Deansfield Road, Wolverhampton; Lamar Johnson, 19, of Birmingham; and James Batchelor, 27, a teacher, of Stone Hill Road, Derby.

Miss Clarke will appear alongside them accused of money laundering as will Sheahan Steele, 41, a drugs counsellor, of Pakfield Walk, Aston, Birmingham; Matthew Clarke, 31, unemployed, of Cross Farm Road, Birmingham and Leon Miles, 19, unemployed, of Brooklands Parade, Wolverhampton