SINGAPORE: A man who committed credit card fraud to buy over S$ 65, 000 ( US$ 47, 000 ) worth of tickets to Universal Studios Singapore ( USS) was jailed for four years, four months and four weeks on Friday ( Jan 3 ).
Nai Jin Khin, a 35-year-old Malaysian, pleaded guilty to 17 claims of cheating, with another 46 related expenses considered for punishment.
His judgment comes after officers last November revealed a growing trend of foreigners extorting local retailers with credit cards.
Other circumstances have been tried in court, including two Chinese people who were imprisoned in December for accepting to purchase iPhones without authorization.
In Nai’s event, the jury heard that in early 2022, his companion added him to a Telegram group for buying and selling crypto.
Nai was supposed to act as a mediator for an specific named” Da Sheng” who wanted to buy crypto, but the deal did not go through.
Da Sheng contacted Nai in August 2024 to inquire about purchasing USS cards for his business.
Nai agreed and was added to another Telegram team because he was unemployed and needed money to pay for his children’s college fees and accommodation.
He began purchasing the cards when he started traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore in September 2024. He would visit USS and tell the Telegram team while he was there.
Finally, using a smartphone app called VooV Meeting, Nai may be given a 10-digit script to contact an unknown individual.
The Nai would be notified how many USS cards to purchase, and give a pair of tokenized payment cards to the Apple Pay game on his phone.
Nai did purchase the necessary reservations using Apple Pay. New tokenized record accounts would be sent to his Apple Pay if the transaction was declined.
Nai would be reimbursed by Da Sheng for each getaway to Singapore after obtaining the actual USS cards.
He made RM6, 000 ( US$ 1, 300 ) from his involvement in the scheme.
October 2024 saw the false purchases in the 17 proceeded costs. They amounted to S$ 65, 487 for roughly 800 USS cards.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Lu Huiyi, Nai suspected that the credit card details he received from Apple Pay were obtained inadvertently.
She asked for a prison term of around four years and five months, arguing that the forgery was difficult and organized, and meant many layers of conversation.
Nai, she said, was not the scheme’s creator, but he actively participated in the travel and received compensation for doing so.
Ms. Lu also cited Nai’s crimes ‘ foreign scope as a contributing factor.
Nai, who did not possess a solicitor, choked up and appeared sad as he addressed the jury via movie link from his home on trial.
He expressed regret and hoped that his behavior would not have had a significant impact.
He claimed that his family, who was now independent, was raising two kids with him. Her health was deteriorating, and Nai claimed he had no idea how long she was “hang on.”
He requested a less harsh word from the court but that he could be reunited with his family.
District Judge Wong Peck praised Nai’s numerous claims and said the prosecution’s proposed word was fair and equitable.
Cheating is a crime that can lead to up to 10 years in prison and a good. A combination of expenses can result in twice the punishment for the offender.