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M'sian tries to buy 4 iPhones at Parkway Parade with digital Bank of America card, Best Denki calls cops
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Ong Su Mann
Posted on 24 November 2024 10:28 am | 65,453 views | 5 commentsA Malaysian man tried to purchase four iPhone 16 Pro Maxes worth more than $7,500 using a digital bank card at the Best Denki outlet in Parkway Parade on Nov 8.
Sales supervisor Sim Chin Peng and retail manager Lim Teck Guan, who were attending to the customer, noticed the digital card was from a foreign bank, specifically the Bank of America.
Suspicious, they requested to see the physical bank card before processing the payment.
The man refused and left the store, prompting Mr Sim to report the suspicious behaviour to the police.
Through follow up investigations, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the man as well a woman who was also believed to be involved in the case.
The two Malaysians, Quek Jian Qing, 21, and Yong Huo Ying, 24, were subsequently arrested.
Mr Sim and Mr Lim were among seven people presented with the Community Partnership Award by the police on Nov 22 for their assistance in several syndicated cheating cases.
In these cases, scam syndicates were believed to have obtained stolen bank card credentials through phishing scams and then recruited mules to enter Singapore to buy high-value electronic items or luxury goods using those credentials.
They would make fraudulent in-store transactions with illegitimate mobile phone payment applications that masquerade as genuine electronic wallets via contactless payment method.
Some of the mules were tasked to sell the purchased items immediately for cash before leaving Singapore.
The victims only realised that their bank cards had been compromised when they received SMS notifications from their banks, informing them of the fraudulent transactions made using their bank cards.
Mr Sim Chin Peng, Mr Lim Teck Guan and Mr Neo Say Kang with their Community Partnership Award. Photo: Lianhe Zaobao
Another Community Partnership Award recipient was Mr Neo Say Kang, a retail manager at the Courts outlet in Funan.
On Nov 5, he was attending to a man who wanted to purchase three iPhones, but the first attempt made via contactless payment was unsuccessful, which prompted the customer to switch to another bank card in his second contactless payment attempt.
After the successful transaction, the man requested to purchase another three iPhones, raising the suspicion of Mr Neo, who got his colleague to take a photograph of the customer before proceeding with the second transaction. The total value of the items amounted to over $11,300.
Mr Neo subsequently reported the suspicious activities to the police.
Through follow up investigations, officers from Central Police Division established the identity of the man and two other men who were also believed to be involved in the case. The three Chinese nationals were subsequently arrested.
Also on Nov 5, a man paid for two iPhones worth more than $3,700 via contactless payment using stolen bank card credentials at the Best Denki outlet in Ngee Ann City. The transaction was processed by customer service executive Yee Weng Chuen.
The actual cardholder subsequently reported the unauthorised transaction to Best Denki.
The next day, the man returned to the same outlet to purchase another two iPhones using the same payment method.
Mr Yee recognised the man and sought assistance from his colleagues, Mr Vincent Ng Chin Hau and Ms Kasturi Vijayan to engage him while he called for the police.
Sensing that something was amiss, the man left the store without the purchased items. The man, who is established to be a Chinese national by officers from Tanglin Police Division, left the country shortly after.
For their efforts, Mr Yee, Mr Ng and Ms Kasturi received the Community Partnership Award
The final recipient was Mr Loo Tze Lai, director of T2 Electronics at Lucky Plaza.
On Nov 8, he processed multiple transactions made by three men for 18 iPhones which totaled over $35,500 in value. These transactions were made using different bank cards.
Suspicious, Mr Loo allowed the men to leave the store with only a portion of their purchased items. He requested that they return with their physical identification documents before they were allowed to collect the remaining items.
After the men left the store, Mr Loo reported their suspicious behaviour to the police.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from the Central Police Division established the identities of the three men, all Malaysians. One was arrested and the other two have since left Singapore.
Those arrested in these four cases were charged in court between Nov 8 and 12 with cheating and forgery.
Commander of Central Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Wong Keng Hoe commended the seven retail staff members for their vigilance.
He said on Nov 22: “All award recipients today were alert in their course of work and promptly reported the suspicious activities to the police. Their crucial information enabled the police to swiftly identify and apprehend the suspects.”
