Man Jailed for Driving Credit Card Fraud Scheme in Singapore

A man named Tang Chin Huat, 27, was sentenced to 23 months in jail for participating in a scheme involving the purchase and resale of iPhones using stolen credit card details. Tang agreed to split the profits with his childhood friend, Ding Jiun Hao, who was also involved in the plan. Another individual, Liau Wei Zheng, who proposed the scheme to Ding, is currently at large and believed to be in Malaysia. Tang pleaded guilty to two out of nine charges of cheating and one count of removing criminal properties from Singapore. The remaining charges of cheating were considered during his sentencing.

In November 2024, Liau approached Ding with an offer to make extra money by using stolen credit cards to buy iPhones in Singapore and resell them in Malaysia. The credit card details belonged to unsuspecting individuals. Liau promised a profit of RM500 (S$151) for each phone sold and agreed to share the profits with Ding. Ding, lacking a car, brought Tang into the scheme. Tang, a Malaysian driver, agreed to participate in exchange for 25% of the profit. The trio visited four mobile phone stores in Singapore, where Liau would obtain credit card details over the phone and make payments using the victims' cards stored in an e-wallet.

They purchased a total of 23 phones worth S$45,291.20 from the stores. Suspicion arose at one store, leading to the confiscation of five phones. The remaining 18 phones were taken to Malaysia, where they were sold by Liau. Tang and Ding each received RM2,250 for their roles in the scheme. Tang surrendered himself to the Singapore police after learning about the case from newspapers and has since made restitution of S$2,000. The prosecution described the offence as transnational and syndicated, seeking a sentence of 23 to 25 months for Tang.

According to the source: CNA.