Ex-karaoke staff found to possess mini-sized skimmer admit counterfeit card scam
2001-5-30
Two former karaoke waiters, who were earlier arrested by the ICAC for corruptly assisting a counterfeit credit card syndicate to capture card data with a match-box-sized skimmer, pleaded guilty at San Po Kong Court today (Wednesday).
The skimmer, measured 1 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 1", capable of storing about 70 sets of credit card data, was the smallest in size seized in ICAC operations.
Chan Tik-hong and Lee Wing-fu, both 21, formerly employed by California Red Karaoke Box (California Red) at Miramar Shopping Centre, Tsimshatsui, today pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with a person known as "Ah Wah" and others to possess a skimm er designed for manufacturing false credit cards.
The offence took place between January 24 and March 28, 2001.
Magistrate Mr Ernest Lin adjourned the case to June 13, 2001 for sentence, pending the defendants' background reports. The magistrate remanded the defendants in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The court heard that in January this year, a man known as "Ah Wah" requested Chan, who had already left California Red, to help capture credit card data.
"Ah Wah" offered Chan a reward of $500 and $800 respectively for each set of regular card and gold card data captured.
Chan then approached Lee, who was working as a waiter at California Red, about the deal. He also passed to Lee a mini-sized skimmer to capture electronic data from customers' credit cards.
Between February 16 and 19 this year, Lee managed to capture 12 sets of customers' credit card data at California Red. The skimmer was then returned to "Ah Wah" through Chan.
The court heard that out of $10,000 reward received from "Ah Wah", Chan paid Lee $2,000 cash, and kept $6,000 to set off a gambling debt that Lee owed him.
Out of the 12 sets of data captured by Lee, six were used by a criminal syndicate for manufacturing counterfeit credit cards.
Such false cards were subsequently uttered in local retail outlets, causing a loss of $71,274 to four local card issuing banks.
The defendants were arrested by ICAC officers on March 28 this year, and the skimmer was recovered at Chan's premises.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Ying Chi-tat.
The skimmer, measured 1 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 1", capable of storing about 70 sets of credit card data, was the smallest in size seized in ICAC operations.
Chan Tik-hong and Lee Wing-fu, both 21, formerly employed by California Red Karaoke Box (California Red) at Miramar Shopping Centre, Tsimshatsui, today pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with a person known as "Ah Wah" and others to possess a skimm er designed for manufacturing false credit cards.
The offence took place between January 24 and March 28, 2001.
Magistrate Mr Ernest Lin adjourned the case to June 13, 2001 for sentence, pending the defendants' background reports. The magistrate remanded the defendants in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The court heard that in January this year, a man known as "Ah Wah" requested Chan, who had already left California Red, to help capture credit card data.
"Ah Wah" offered Chan a reward of $500 and $800 respectively for each set of regular card and gold card data captured.
Chan then approached Lee, who was working as a waiter at California Red, about the deal. He also passed to Lee a mini-sized skimmer to capture electronic data from customers' credit cards.
Between February 16 and 19 this year, Lee managed to capture 12 sets of customers' credit card data at California Red. The skimmer was then returned to "Ah Wah" through Chan.
The court heard that out of $10,000 reward received from "Ah Wah", Chan paid Lee $2,000 cash, and kept $6,000 to set off a gambling debt that Lee owed him.
Out of the 12 sets of data captured by Lee, six were used by a criminal syndicate for manufacturing counterfeit credit cards.
Such false cards were subsequently uttered in local retail outlets, causing a loss of $71,274 to four local card issuing banks.
The defendants were arrested by ICAC officers on March 28 this year, and the skimmer was recovered at Chan's premises.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Ying Chi-tat.