A 34-year-old Brazilian man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in the possession of cloned Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, the Singapore Police Force said in a statement on Tuesday.
The arrest came after the police received a report on Monday, November 10, about a man allegedly using suspicious cards to withdraw cash from an ATM. Following swift investigations and extensive ground enquiries, officers from the Central Police Division identified the suspect and arrested him within nine hours of receiving the report.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had allegedly attempted to use 15 cloned ATM cards to make cash withdrawals. The police seized more than S$2,000 in cash, 66 suspected cloned ATM cards, and a mobile phone from him as case exhibits.
The suspect was charged in court on Wednesday, November 12, with unauthorised access to computer material under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993. If convicted, he could face up to two years in jail, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
The police emphasised that they take a serious view of offences involving the production and possession of cloned payment cards and warned that offenders will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law.
Authorities also urged the public to stay vigilant when making online transactions and to safeguard their banking information. Members of the public are advised to shop only on trusted websites, protect their card details, and immediately notify their banks if their credit or debit cards are lost or stolen.
The police reminded the public to keep their cards secure at all times, enable SMS notifications for transactions, and check their bank statements regularly for unauthorised charges. They also warned against clicking on suspicious links, sharing one-time passwords (OTPs), or exposing card details unnecessarily.
