A north Queensland woman who made nearly $2,000 through an Internet beer scam has been ordered to serve 18 months probation. Student Tara Woodford, 28, pleaded guilty in the Mackay Magistrates Court to selling three cartons of Duff beer, made famous by the animated US television series The Simpsons. Police prosecutor Gavin Burnett told the court Woodford was paid $1,950 for the goods, but never actually had them in her possession. She was ordered to reimburse the money, to undergo counselling and psychological assessment. Duff Beer was produced in South Australia in the mid-1990s and was banned from sale in 1996 after a judge found it breached the Trade Practices Act by ripping off the brand name used on the The Simpsons. Duff was then selling for about $24 a carton, but today an unopened carton in good condition can fetch up to $10,000.
