Two people from Taiwan linked to credit card fraud syndicate jailed in Singapore
The offenders were recruited by a syndicate member to come to Singapore to buy items, often electronics, using credit cards that turned out to be stolen.
A view of the State Courts building in Singapore. (File photo: CNA/Ili Nadhirah Mansor)
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SINGAPORE: Two people from Taiwan who came to Singapore and purchased items with stolen credit cards on the instructions of a syndicate member were jailed on Friday (Oct 31).
Yang Chen Yu, 25, was given 25 months' jail, while Tiffany Liu Ting-Yu, 30, was sentenced to 31 months in prison.
The court heard that Yang racked up debts in Taiwan from borrowing money from loan sharks to gamble.
He and his poker mate Lin Lee-En were approached by an unlicensed moneylender, referred to only as "Fang" in court papers, who said the pair could go to Singapore and purchase items using payment cards that would be provided.
Yang and Lin agreed and were introduced to a person called "Mai Xiang". Mai was a syndicate member.
He instructed Yang and Lin to purchase and sell items in Singapore using stolen credit card details that would be provided to them.
Yang knew that he would be using these cards without authority from the cardholders, but thought it was the best option for him to repay his debt.
His other options were to go to Thailand or Myanmar to be involved in scam operations or to remain in Taiwan as a staff member of Fang's gambling den.
He thought there was a low likelihood of detection as he would only be in Singapore for a day, and there would be the "least harm" done to others, as the credit card owners could dispute the transactions.
Yang and Lin flew to Singapore on a ticket purchased by Mai Xiang, arriving on Feb 19, 2025.
The pair collected phones from a baggage locker in Changi Airport that were loaded with an app called "Tap Pay".
Mai Xiang instructed Yang to test the app by making purchases in various stores around Singapore.
He was to call Mai Xiang and his associates before making a purchase, and the Tap Pay app would show a virtual card. Yang could then buy items by tapping the phone against the store's payment terminal.
If the transaction did not go through, Yang would receive instructions on whether to try again or leave the store while the virtual card on the app was switched by Mai Xiang and his associates.
Each virtual card was linked to an electronic credit card, which belonged to an unknown person, said the prosecutor.
Yan and Lin went to various tech stores, including Courts, Challenger and Mobile Square on Feb 19 and bought iPhones, power banks and luggage bags for more than S$24,000 using this method.
After this, Mai Xiang asked Yang and Lin to head to Admiralty Link to sell the iPhones. Yang sold the phones for S$9,050.
The two men then deposited the phones back into the baggage locker at Changi Airport, along with the power banks.
Yang was arrested on Feb 21, 2025, while trying to enter the departure area at Changi Airport.
The proceeds from the sale of the iPhones and the Gucci luggage bags were recovered from Yang and Lin.
LIU'S STORY
Meanwhile, Liu was introduced by her hairstylist in Taiwan to a job in Singapore, where she could buy items from retail stores for money.
Liu was introduced to a person called Fang Cheng Lan and Mai Xiang. Mai Xiang added Liu and Fang to a Telegram group with other people.
Mai Xiang told the chat group that he would be delivering mobile phones to them.
Fang collected four phones and flew to Singapore with Liu on Feb 13, 2025.
In Singapore, Liu and Fang were instructed to buy SIM cards for the four phones, place the phones in the baggage storage at Changi Airport and send the baggage storage QR code to Mai Xiang.
They were also to check for prices of goods and update Mai Xiang.
The pair did so and returned to Taiwan before preparing to fly back a few days later.
Liu and Fang landed in Singapore on Feb 21, 2025 and were directed by Mai Xiang to collect a bag from the baggage storage at Changi Airport. They took a backpack containing phones and power banks and went to various stores to buy items in the same method used by Yang and Lin.
Liu and Fang bought iPhones and luxury bags worth S$50,740 on Feb 21 and Feb 22.
Mai Xiang ordered Liu to retrieve the phones but leave the luxury bags in her hotel room. On his instructions, Liu met two men at Block 83, Redhill Lane and handed over the phones and other items.
She then went to Changi Airport where she was due to head back to Taiwan but she was arrested and remanded. Only the three bags were recovered from her hotel room.
The prosecution sought 25 to 28 months' jail for Yang and 31 to 33 months' jail for Liu, noting that deterrence "features strongly in such offences" because of Singapore's standing as an international financial, commercial and transit hub, which is premised on its ability to ensure that financial transactions are easily carried out, yet adequately safeguarded.
"The prevalence of credit card offences will erode public confidence and could have a deleterious effect on Singapore's standing as a preferred destination for tourism, trade and investment," said the prosecutor.
The offences were also committed as part of a syndicate and involved significant planning and sophistication, with a "significant transnational element", he added.
They pleaded guilty to one charge each of cheating, with Yang having one more charge taken into consideration, and Liu having two.
For cheating, the offenders could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined. As their charges were amalgamated and included multiple instances, they faced up to double the maximum punishment.
