The Police have arrested a 25-year-old man for his suspected involvement in using another person’s debit card to make unauthorised transactions.
On 27 March 2020, the Police received a report from a victim who discovered that more than 10 unauthorised transactions had been made with his missing debit card.
Through ground enquiries, and the aid of images from police cameras and CCTV footages, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 1 April 2020. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to have found the victim’s debit card and used it to make unauthorised transactions for retail purchases amounting to about $2,000 within a span of about three hours.
The man will be charged in court on 3 April 2020 with cheating and dishonest misappropriation of property, punishable under Section 420 and Section 403 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224 respectively. The offence of cheating carries an imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and a fine, while the offence of dishonest misappropriation of property carries an imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.
The Police would like to advise all credit or debit card holders to call their card-issuing banks immediately if their credit or 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 or debit card;
· Check bank statements and alert the bank immediately should there be any discrepancy or fraudulent charge(s).
The Police would also like to remind merchants and sales staff to exercise vigilance and adopt correct card acceptance procedures when processing credit card transactions. They should look out for the various security features on the card face. If they detect anything suspicious, they should contact their processing bank immediately for advice.
Case exhibits seized
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
02 April 2020 @ 6:30 PM