Man, 23, arrested after buying PMD worth over $1,000 with woman's missing credit card

Upon finding a woman's lost credit card, a man used it to purchase a personal mobility device that cost more than $1,000.

The 23-year-old man was arrested on Monday (Jan 6), said the police, who were alerted on Jan 1 to the case.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to have found the victim’s credit card and used it to make an unauthorised transaction for the retail purchase.

The personal mobility device was seized as a case exhibit.

The man will be charged in court on Tuesday (Jan 7) with cheating, which carries a jail term of up to 10 years and/or a fine.

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

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

All credit/debit card holders are advised 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;

• Check bank statements and alert the bank immediately should there be any discrepancies or fraudulent charges; and

Merchants and sales staff are reminded 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.