Police referred a 16-year-old high school student to prosecutors on Friday on suspicion of using software on other people's computers to obtain the online account details of several hundred people, including records of their online shopping.

The male student from Tokyo's Ota Ward is suspected of having infected some 730 computers with malware enabling him to control them remotely. Police say his personal computer was found to contain 1,800 people's details from online shopping services and other sites.

Papers sent to prosecutors allege the student infected the personal computer of a Tokyo man in his 40s with a malware program between June and July last year and obtained account information for the man and another person.

Police say the student has admitted the allegations, telling investigators he was interested in remotely controlling other people's personal computers.

He is suspected to have placed and won bids for three high-end brand-name items for a total of roughly ¥26 million using the accounts he unlawfully obtained. Additionally, he is thought to have sold off some accounts to gain funds in virtual currency.

He was found to have had bitcoin worth about ¥50,000 when the police raided his home in October, they said.