The Police have arrested a 42-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of theft and using another person’s debit cards to make unauthorised transactions.
On 17 March 2020, the Police received a report from a victim who discovered that his pouch was stolen and several unauthorised purchases had been made with his debit cards that were kept in it.
Through investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 13 April 2020. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had stolen the victim’s pouch while he was taking the victim’s private hire car and he used the debit cards found in the pouch to make unauthorised transactions for purchases amounting to $194.
Investigations are ongoing. The offence of theft under Section 379 of the Penal Code, carries an imprisonment term of up to 3 years, or fine, or both. The offence of unauthorised access to computer material under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act, carries a fine up to $5,000, jail 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
14 April 2020 @ 4:45 PM