Vietnamese, 2 Malaysians jailed for credit card fraud in HCMC
Last updated: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 18:55
Two Malaysian nationals and one Vietnamese stand a trial for credit card fraud on December 9 in Ho Chi Minh City / PHOTOS COURTESY OF VNEXPRESS
A court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced two Malaysian men and one Vietnamese to jail Monday for faking credit and ATM cards to steal hundreds of millions of dong.
Malaysians Looi Hawshyan, 23, and Khoo Boon Loke, 26, were sentenced to seven and five years, respectively.
Meanwhile, Co Kim Thach, 41, received a three-year jail term.
They were all convicted of “using computer networks, telecommunication networks and Internet or digital devices to deprive others of their properties,” according to the HCMC People’s Court.
The indictment stated that Hawshyan entered Vietnam on July 21, 2011, with equipment that enabled him to fake 175 Visa cards, MasterCards and ATM cards. He was apparently operating under the orders of a Malaysian national referred to as A Fong.
He gave 100 cards to A Fong’s associates, and a majority of the rest to his accomplice Thach, who withdrew VND60 million (US$2,800) from local ATM booths.
Hawshyan also used fraudulent cards to buy goods worth VND146 million ($6,800).
The ring was busted on October 25, 2011 when Loke used fake cards provided by A Fong to pay his bill at a bar in District 1 and was discovered by the bar’s manager.
He was arrested and handed over to local police.
As of that time, he had successfully bought goods worth VND397 million ($18,700) with fake cards.
A few days later, Thach was apprehended while he was withdrawing money from an ATM.
Police extended their investigations and arrested Hawshyan at a hotel.
