The Police have arrested a 36-year-old man for his suspected involvement in using another person’s debit card to make unauthorised transactions.
On 29 February 2020, the Police received a report from the sister of a victim who discovered that several unathorised purchases had been made with the victim’s debit card.
Through investigations, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 9 March 2020.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had misappropriated the debit card which was inside the bag that he was entrusted with by the victim, to make unauthorised transactions for retail purchases of cigarettes and jewellery amounting to more than $1,100.
The man will be charged in court on 10 March 2020 with criminal breach of trust and unauthorised access to computer material, punishable under Section 406 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224 and Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act, Chapter 50A respectively. The offence of criminal breach of trust carries a jail term of 7 years, or with fine or with both. The offence of unauthorised access to computer material carries a fine up to $5,000, jailed term of up to two years, or both.
The Police would like to remind members of the public that unauthorised use of another person’s credit/debit card is a serious offence.
The Police would 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 an SMS notification to be sent to your mobile phone 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.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
09 March 2020 @ 10:05 PM