14 people allegedly using thieved credit cards to buy HK$1.5 million worth of smartphones arrested

Hong Kong police on Saturday came up with the warning that was directed to the retailers in the city after 14 people suspected of using thieved credit and debit cards to buy smartphones in the city's stores were apprehended. A total worth of HK$1.5 million in goods was expended from the cards, police said.

12 men and 2 women involved in this fraudulence acts were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering, with five already charged, police said on Saturday

According to the police spokesperson “The crime syndicates used the stolen credit cards to shop at an electronic product chain store in the district and converted them into cash to make a profit,” he said.

"There was also a cross-border syndicate that made purchases at the store with debit cards issued by mainland banks, and the money was found to have been scammed.”

Police reported that the suspects whose ages are between 22 - 52 years and who were Hong Kong and mainland China residents were arrested between the 30th of June and the 4th of August, this year. 50 smartphones coupled with several credit and debit cards were seized in their operations.

It was emphasized that the suspects are from different gangs and further arrest could not be ruled out, police said further.

Police notified the retailers in the city's stores to report any transactions that in suspect to police and pursue suitable measures to verify customers’ identity when they are purchasing a large scale of similar products with credit and debit cards within a short period,” he said.

He warned that assisting crime syndicates to use stolen credit cards could be part of the conspiracy to defraud and money laundering, punishable by a maximum HK$5 million fine and 14 years in jail.

週六，香港警方逮捕了 14 名涉嫌使用被盜信用卡和借記卡在香港商店購買智能手機的人，並向該市的零售商發出了警告。 警方稱，這些卡中的商品總計價值150萬港元。

警方周六表示，參與這起詐騙行為的 12 名男子和 2 名女子因涉嫌串謀詐騙和洗錢而被捕，其中 5 人已被指控

警方發言人表示，“犯罪集團利用被盜的信用卡在該區一家電子產品連鎖店購物，並將其兌換成現金以牟利。”

“還有一個跨境集團，用內地銀行發行的借記卡到店購物，發現錢被騙了。”

警方通報，今年6月30日至8月4日期間逮捕了年齡介乎22至52歲、香港和中國大陸居民的犯罪嫌疑人。 他們在行動中查獲了 50 部智能手機以及多張信用卡和借記卡。

警方進一步表示，強調嫌疑人來自不同團伙，不排除進一步逮捕的可能性。

警方通知該市商店的零售商在短時間內使用信用卡和借記卡購買大量類似產品時，向警方報告任何可疑交易，並採取適當措施核實顧客的身份。”

他警告說，協助犯罪集團使用被盜信用卡可能構成串謀詐騙和洗錢的一部分，最高可被判處500萬港元罰款和14年監禁。