Accused Zhang Tianyu (second from left) walking past Li Xueqi (middle, in white top) and Xu Zhaochen (right, in white top) at the iStudio store in Bugis Junction on Nov 14. - ST
SINGAPORE: More charges were handed to three foreigners who are believed to be part of transnational scam syndicates that targeted retailers across Singapore.
One of them, Zhang Tianyu, 29, was given two more cheating charges on Nov 15.
Zhang is said to have cheated a staff member at iStudio in Bugis Junction by presenting a credit card he was not authorised to use, thus causing the employee to hand over six iPhones worth more $12,300 to the accused.
Zhang was handed his first cheating charge on Nov 8 for allegedly cheating a staff member at Best Denki in Funan shopping centre to deliver four iPhones worth over $8,700.
Zhang and two others, Xu Zhaochen and Li Xueqi, both 36, were allegedly part of a syndicate that committed credit card fraud here. All three are Chinese nationals.
Xu and Li, who were charged with cheating on Nov 8, did not receive new charges on Nov 15.
All three men will remain in remand, and permission was granted for them to be taken out for investigations.
Their cases will be heard again on Nov 22.
On Nov 14, ST reported that the authorities had warned retailers about syndicates believed to have stolen the credit card details of victims here through online phishing scams.
These details would be loaded onto a mobile app which can be controlled remotely and used for contactless payments.
The foreigners, who are believed to have been recruited in their home countries via social messaging platforms, were told to come to Singapore and buy items such as expensive mobile phones, electronic accessories and gold bars via contactless payments.
They would then sell these items for cash.
In another similar case, two Malaysians, a man and a woman, were arrested on Nov 8 and each charged with one count of cheating the next day.
Quek Jian Qing, 21, and Yong Huo Ying, 24, were handed more charges on Nov 15.
According to the charge sheets, Quek allegedly conspired with Yong and an unknown individual to sell two iPhones, which were items that had been obtained criminally, to a mobile phone store in Marine Parade for $3,040.
Yong is also said to have conspired with Quek and an unknown individual to sell five iPhones to the same store for $7,600. These iPhones had purportedly been obtained through a criminal offence.
The cases of the Malaysian pair and the three Chinese men are believed to involve different syndicates, despite having the same modus operandi.
Since Nov 4, at least 10 victims who had fallen for e-commerce scams have reported unauthorised transactions totalling more than $100,000 on their credit cards for purchases such as electronic products, like iPhones and chargers, and jewellery in Singapore.
A police advisory has been issued to retailers of high-value electronic and luxury goods, warning them about the emerging crime trend.
The advisory said suspicious persons have been making contactless payments without presenting a physical card.
Retailers are advised to look out for customers who attempt to make several contactless payments, with some transactions failing, then trying a different mobile phone or card.
The police added that these suspicious customers typically do not request tax refunds, and the transactions often involve the purchase of high-value goods in a single transaction.
They might also try to conceal their appearance with caps and masks, and their supposed nationalities may not match their accents, added the police.
If a transaction fails, staff should politely offer assistance, inquire about the payment method, and request to see the physical card linked with the mobile payment for verification.
If there are multiple red flags, retailers should discreetly halt the transaction and contact the police for assistance.
Scam figures hit record highs in the first half of 2024, with more than $385.6 million lost in 26,587 reported cases.
Those convicted of cheating can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined. - The Straits Times/ANN
