The Police have arrested a 30-year-old man for his suspected involvement in using a credit card, belonging to another person, to make unauthorised retail purchases amounting to more than $2,900.
On 7 April 2019, the Police were informed by a victim that there were several unauthorised transactions made with his missing credit card. Through follow-up investigations, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the man and arrested him along Gateway Drive on 12 April 2019. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to have stolen the victim’s credit card and had later used it to make the unauthorised transactions. A mobile phone, a projector and a laptop with some accessories, which were believed to have been purchased using the victim’s credit card, were seized as case exhibits.
The man will be charged in court on 13 April 2019. Any person who is convicted for theft shall be punished with a jail term which may extend to 3 years or a fine, or with both. Any person who is convicted for cheating shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to a fine.
The Police would like to remind members of the public that unauthorised use of another person’s physical credit/debit card and credit/debit card information is a serious offence. Merchants and sales staff are advised to exercise vigilance and adopt correct card acceptance procedures when processing credit card transactions. They should look out for the name and security features on the card face and contact their processing bank immediately for advice if they detect anything suspicious.
The Police would also like to advise all credit/debit card holders to call their card-issuing banks immediately if their credit/debit cards are lost or stolen, and to adopt the following measures to prevent unauthorised use of their cards:
• Opt for SMS OTP verification for online purchases or charges to your credit / debit cards;
• Opt for an SMS to be sent to your handphone for any charges incurred on your credit / debit card; and
• Check bank statements and alert the bank immediately should there be any discrepancies or fraudulent charges.
Case exhibits seized
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
12 April 2019 @ 5:25 PM