Macao: Eight Arrested in Credit Card Fraud Cases Worth Over MOP 12 Million
Two Criminal Gangs Under Investigation
Macao Judiciary Police (PJ) announced the arrest of eight individuals, including a woman, from two criminal gangs for alleged involvement in credit card fraud worth over MOP 12 million.
Operation Soaring Star
This operation was carried out in collaboration with Hong Kong counterparts, following last year’s successful arrests of 53 suspects.
Arrests in Macao
Of the 16 individuals detained, nine were apprehended in Macao, including:
- A student
- A civil servant
- Three staff members of a trading firm
Smartphones Used for Fraudulent Transactions
The PJ revealed that scammers were using smartphones to link stolen credit card data and make purchases by scanning their phones. Four men, all in their late twenties, were arrested for this offense near the Barrier Gate checkpoint.
- Three of these individuals purchased over 3,000 smartphones
- They received MOP 12,000 to 18,000 for their efforts
Stolen Credit Card Data Transactions
A total of 840 credit card accounts underwent over 900 transactions, equating to over MOP 12 million. Credit card centers reported a loss of MOP 5.7 million, with the status of the remaining MOP 6.7 million undetermined.
Lending Apple IDs for Game Tokens
Another credit card scam involved five individuals who agreed to lend their AppleIDs to link with stolen credit card data from the gang, purchasing game tokens, under the false pretense of earning MOP 10 per transaction. At least six local credit cards had been compromised, with transactions worth MOP 42,600.
Charges Faced by Suspects
The suspects involved in both cases have been handed over to the Public Prosecutions Office and are currently facing fraud charges.
Hong Kong Arrests
The Hong Kong police also took part in this operation, making arrests of five men and two women, with a total of seven credit cards and transactions worth over HK$100,000.
Public Protection and Prevention
The Judiciary Police urged the public to protect their personal and credit card data and to refrain from lending their online accounts to others. Anyone who may have been a victim of credit card fraud is encouraged to contact the PJ hotline 993.