Women, aged 26 and 60, allegedly went on $1,500 shopping spree after picking up man's credit card

Two women, aged 26 and 60, were arrested on Thursday (Sep 12) for their suspected involvement in using another person’s credit card to make unauthorised transactions at retail outlets.

The police received a report on May 28 from a man who had lost his credit card. There were several unauthorised transactions amounting to more than $1,500 made on his credit card.

Through follow-up investigations, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the women's identities and arrested them.

"An assortment of apparels, toiletries, handbags, health care products, a pairs of spectacles and two stored value cards, believed to have been purchased using the victim’s credit card, were seized as case exhibits," added the police in a statement.

"Preliminary investigations revealed that the 26-year-old woman is believed to have picked up the victim’s credit card and made the unauthorised transactions together with the 60-year-old woman."

The two women will be charged in court on Friday (Sep 13).

If convicted for dishonest misappropriation of property, they shall be punished with a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine.

If convicted for cheating, they shall be punished with a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

The police reminded members of the public to be vigilant of their surroundings and to safeguard their belongings in public.

Merchants and sales staff are advised to exercise vigilance and adopt correct card acceptance procedures when processing credit/debit card transactions.

They should look out for the name and security features on the card face and contact their processing bank immediately for advice if they detect anything suspicious.

The police also advised all credit/debit card holders to call their 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;

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

• Do not give out your credit / debit card details to strangers.