A teenage online computer-game junkie tried to steal $10,000 by hacking into his host parents' internet bank account, Wellington police say.

The 14-year-old Wellington boy accessed the bank account after installing a key logger program on the home's computer, police said.

The program, one of many readily available on the internet, records the keys pressed by other users and can then be recalled.

It is thought the boy then hacked into the account and tried to steal the money, but was stopped when the bank noticed the unusual transaction and telephoned the account holder.

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