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Police Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB) conducted an operation today (May 17) targeting the use of counterfeit payment cards to withdraw funds from banks' ATMs illegally and neutralised a transnational syndicate engaged in the making and using of counterfeit payment cards resulting in the arrest of three expatriate men.
CCB earlier received intelligence about a syndicate suspectedly involved in counterfeit payment cards being encoded with data stolen from overseas bank accounts and making withdrawals at ATMs in Central.
Investigations revealed that suspicious withdrawals from the ATMs of two banks in Central were found in the past few days with 11 suspected counterfeit payment cards seized from the ATMs. Action was taken this morning with three expatriate males, aged between 30 and 47, arrested in a service apartment unit in Central. During the operation, 196 suspect cards, together with a large amount of Hong Kong and foreign currencies amounting to about HK$700 000, were seized.
The three men were arrested for using a false instrument and possession of a false instrument and are being detained for further enquiries.
Police appeal to the public to properly protect their credit data with the following advice:
1. Stay vigilant and keep your credit cards in a safe place;
2. Don't put your card and its password together, and don't use your date of birth, telephone numbers or Identity Card number as passwords as they can be easily identified;
3. After paying bills with credit card, make sure you have been returned your own credit card;
4. Destroy bank letters containing credit card data and customer copies of credit card payment before disposal; and
5. Check your bank statements against any abnormal transaction. Inform your card-issuing bank at once of any suspicious transaction or not receiving regular bank documents.
Police are determined and capable of combating any illegal acts affecting business operation in Hong Kong. We will continue to work closely with the banking industry, and Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies to deter transnational illegal activities.
Add Police Report No. 9
Ends/Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Issued at HKT 21:49
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