19-year-old man arrested for going on $1k shopping spree with credit card that he found

A 19-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday (Mar 25) for allegedly using a credit card that he had found to make unauthorised transactions.

The police were alerted to the case on Mar 11 by the victim, who discovered that several unauthorised purchases had been made with his missing credit card.

Through investigations, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the suspect's identity and arrested him.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to have found the victim's credit card and used it to make unauthorised transactions for retail and online purchases amounting to over $1,000.

Case exhibits such as an assortment of stored value cards, apparels, a pair of shoes and a computer accessory, which are believed to have been topped up and purchased using the victim’s credit card, were seized.

The man will be charged in court on Friday (Mar 27).

The offence of dishonest misappropriation of property carries a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine.

The offence of cheating carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

The offence of unauthorised access to computer materials carries a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

The unauthorised use of another person’s credit/debit card is a serious offence, said the police in a statement.

All credit/debit card holders to call their card-issuing banks immediately if their 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.

The police also reminded merchants and sales staff to exercise vigilance and adopt correct card acceptance procedures when processing credit/debit card transactions.

"They should look out for the various security features on the card face," said the police.

"If they detect anything suspicious, they should contact their processing bank immediately for advice."