A Taiwanese man was taken into custody following a questionable credit card transaction at a Far East Plaza retailer on Wednesday, February 26.
The police issued a press release on Thursday, February 27, and revealed that the incident occurred at a mobile phone store in the mall. The business owner and security personnel helped to arrest the 26-year-old on the spot.
According to police, the preliminary investigations showed the individual had arrived in Singapore earlier that day and was allegedly employed by a criminal group operating abroad.
He was also suspected of making fraudulent transactions at other places across the nation using contactless payment techniques, sometimes referred to as near field communication (NFC) mobile payments, connected to credit card information that had been taken.
The police said in the statement, "This modus operandi is believed to have defrauded multiple businesses, with the man successfully purchasing Razer Gold eGift cards worth a total of S$1,110 from various 7-11 stores prior to his arrest."
Three cell phones and the gift cards were found and confiscated.
The gaming business Razer has created a virtual currency called Razer Gold. It can be used to buy credit on gaming platforms and to make in-game purchases.
On Friday, February 28, he will face charges in court. He might be fined and imprisoned for up to ten years if proven guilty of cheating.
The police cautioned that "unauthorized use of another person's credit or debit card is a serious offence," and they said they take fraud seriously, adding, "Perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
In the case that a credit or debit card is lost or stolen, the police urged the public to act right away.
