Lawyer goes to jail and gets license revoked after using a stolen credit card

SINGAPORE: A young lawyer gets his license revoked after stealing a card wallet in a private-hire car and using a stolen credit card on a shopping spree amounting to more than S$4,000. The lawyer, who was still practising his profession during the incident, was earlier sentenced to three weeks in prison. 

Moreover, the 30-year-old defendant was sentenced to three charges, including dishonest misappropriation of property and deception. He later admitted to one of the charges, while the others will be taken into consideration by a judge. 

What happened?

According to the case, the lawyer called a private-hire car in 2022 and found a black Bottega Veneta card holder inside. He took the cardholder without the knowledge of the private-hire car driver. 

He decided to use the credit card in the stolen wallet to buy a pack of cigarettes first, and when he found out that the card could still be used, he went to an electronics store to buy a laptop, an amplifier, and a lot more, which totalled more than S$4,000. 

Furthermore, to avoid being caught, the lawyer also used a fake name and contact number when filling out the warranty information needed for the electrical appliances. 

Additionally, the electronics store was holding a promotion during his time of purchase, so the lawyer also received gifts such as a gaming chair, a computer cooling fan, and a computer monitor. 

The owner of the wallet then contacted the private-hire driver in search of the card wallet, and the driver gave the lawyer’s contact number. The owner of the wallet called the police after receiving the credit card transaction notifications. 

The lawyer was arrested the next day and surrendered all that he had bought and the additional gifts to the police. He admitted that he was greedy at that time and that he thought it was a lucky day for him. 

Due to this unfortunate incident and as the case has ended, the Law Society of Singapore requested the court to remove him from the list of lawyers, which was approved. The lawyer was also willing to take responsibility for his actions, given that he was aware of the seriousness of his crime. It was revealed that the lawyer was struggling at work and had a mental condition that caused him to act that way. The judges encouraged him to continue receiving treatment for his condition. 

Credit card fraud in Singapore

Credit card fraud is a big problem for both individuals and businesses in Singapore. It has become easier for criminals to steal credit card information because more people are shopping online and using credit cards to pay. 

Contact your credit card company immediately if you spot any suspicious charges on your credit card. Quickly report the fraud and secure your account. In Singapore, you can also file a police report to help investigate the crime and catch the culprit. Do this as soon as possible to reduce further fraud and protect your money.