Alleged fraudsters charged in credit card jewel con

(CNS): Two Malaysian men who were arrested on Thursday, 5 October, on suspicion of fraud have been charged with obtaining a money transfer by deception and attempting to obtain a money transfer by deception. The men, aged 30 and 50, were arrested after police responded to a report of credit card fraud at a George Town retail store. A large number of credit cards and jewellery valued at around US $200,000 were recovered by police. Detective Inspector Ian Lavine, the officer in charge of the investigation, is encouraging staff within stores to continue to be vigilant about such criminal deceptions.

“The staff within this particular store noticed that something wasn’t quite right with the card being tendered. They immediately called the Financial Crime Unit and subsequent enquiries led to the swift apprehension of the suspects,” the officer stated.  “Store staff should always take time to verify that the customer’s name and signature match that on the credit card and should always ask for the card to be accompanied by photo identification such as a driving license or a passport.”

The men were taken before the court Monday afternoon and were remanded in custody until they return to the Grand Court on Friday 11 October.

Anyone who requires further information about how to combat credit card fraud should contact the RCIPS Financial Crime Unit on 949-8797.