52-year-old man arrested after going on $2k shopping spree with credit card that he found

A 52-year-old man was arrested on Monday (Jan 18) for allegedly making unauthorised transactions with a credit card that he had found.

The police received a report at around 12.50pm on January 1, from a 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.

"The man allegedly found the victim’s credit card and used it to make unauthorised transactions amounting to more than $2,000," said the police.

Two pairs of shoes, four bottles of wine, a coffee machine, some coffee capsules and a shirt were believed to have been purchased using the victim’s credit card.

The items have since been seized as case exhibits.

The man will be charged in court on Wednesday with cheating, which carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

In their statement, the police also reminded members of the public that unauthorised use of another person’s credit or debit card is a serious offence.

Credit and debit card holders are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:

• Keep your credit or debit cards safe with you at all times;

• Call your card issuing banks immediately if your credit or debit cards are lost or stolen;

• Opt for an SMS notification to be sent to your mobile phone for any charges incurred on your credit or debit cards; and

• Check your bank statements regularly and alert the bank immediately should there be any discrepancies or unauthorised charges