Three Arrested in Macao for Credit Card Fraud Scam: Defrauding 71 Non-Locals of HKD 52.6 Million
Macao Judiciary Police Bust Local Credit Card Fraud Gang
Macao Judiciary Police (PJ) announced the arrest of a local credit card fraud gang on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. The gang, consisting of two businessmen and a female insurance agent, is accused of defrauding at least 71 non-resident credit card holders of HKD 52.6 million (MOP 43.7 million) in counterfeit transactions.
:::warning Important Notice: The following information is based on a press release from the Macao Judiciary Police and does not include any independent verification. :::
Suspects and Their Businesses
The suspects, aged 33 (Sio), 32 (Fok), and 31 (Che), owned businesses such as a car dealership, beauty parlour, and engineering company. Their businesses facilitated the majority of the fraudulent transactions.
Investigation and Seizures
The investigation began following reports from a local bank and a foreign card-issuing organization about unusual transactions on 71 credit cards of their overseas users totaling HKD 52.6 million at local merchants.
The fraudulent transactions were primarily executed at automobile, beauty salon and engineering businesses through online payment platforms using smartphones. The police seized seven computers, 240,000 patacas in cash, designer handbags, and over ten credit cards, as well as account books from the suspects’ residences, shops, and company premises during the arrests.
Charges and Refusal to Cooperate
PJ Spokesperson Cheong Kim Fong announced that the three suspects refused to cooperate with the police during interrogation but were charged with organized crime, money laundering, and fraud involving a substantial amount of money upon their transfer to the Public Prosecutions Office. Cheong further announced that the police discovered an additional case of illicit cigarette trading during the investigation.
Affected Victims and Methods
All the credit card fraud victims were non-residents, emphasized Cheong. The methods used by the gang to acquire the credit card information have not been disclosed, and further investigations are ongoing.
“The fraudulent transactions were primarily executed at automobile, beauty salon, and engineering businesses through online payment platforms using smartphones.”
- Cheong Kim Fong, Macao Judiciary Police Spokesperson
In Conclusion
This credit card fraud scam is a significant concern for both local and foreign card holders in Macao. The community is advised to remain vigilant and report any unusual transactions on their credit cards to their banks as soon as possible.
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