Three men jailed for counterfeit credit card fraud
2001-7-9
Three men were given jail terms ranging from two and a half years to four years at District Court today (Monday) for their participation in a fraudulent scheme to utter counterfeit credit cards to obtain $1 million worth of watches from a jewellery shop.
Liu Chi-leung, unemployed, 35, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. Salesman Danny Lo Kwok-fai, 46, received a jail term of three years, while technician Ng Mong-ho, 35, were jailed for two and a half years.
Lo was today found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud, while Liu and Ng had earlier pleaded guilty to four offences, including conspiracy to defraud, and possessing and using false credit cards.
Deputy Judge Colin MacKintosh said immediate custodial sentences were imposed as the offences committed by the defendants were serious.
The judge added that the scheme was premeditated and that the defendants had tarnished the reputation of Hong Kong.
The court heard that on December 7 last year, Lo contacted an ICAC informant for his assistance in planning a false credit card scam.
On December 20, Lo introduced Liu to the informant.
Two days later, Lo had a meeting with the informant. During the meeting, Lo told the informant that Liu was able to obtain a large number of genuine credit card data from some collusive bank staff for the manufacturing of counterfeit credit cards.
The informant and Lo agreed to a proposal that counterfeit credit cards be used at a jewellery shop inside a hotel in Shatin, with the corrupt assistance from the shop's "assistant general manager".
On January 8 this year, Lo arranged the informant to meet Lau. During the meeting, Liu indicated that the syndicate had at least 30 counterfeit credit cards to be uttered at the jewellery shop.
Two days later, the informant introduced an ICAC undercover officer, alias "Tom", to Liu.
During the meeting, Liu said he wanted to use counterfeit credit cards to "buy" $1 million worth of watches at the jewellery shop, and to make a profit of $500,000 out of the scam.
Liu also asked Tom to approach the "assistant general manager", who was posed by another ICAC undercover officer, about the scheme.
In the evening of January 20, Liu and Tom met Ng at the hotel in Shatin, where Liu asked Ng to put his signature on a number of counterfeit credit cards.
Afterwards, Ng and Tom proceeded to the jewellery shop at the hotel to utter the counterfeit credit cards.
Ng was arrested by ICAC officers after he completed a $20,000 transaction, and was found in possession of 13 counterfeit credit cards, a $20,000 credit card payment slip related to the said transaction, and an identity card belonging to another person. L iu was caught in the vicinity of the shop, while Lo was arrested the following day.
The prosecution was today represented by Shaun Kelly on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officers Heath Cheung and Vivian Lee.
Liu Chi-leung, unemployed, 35, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. Salesman Danny Lo Kwok-fai, 46, received a jail term of three years, while technician Ng Mong-ho, 35, were jailed for two and a half years.
Lo was today found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud, while Liu and Ng had earlier pleaded guilty to four offences, including conspiracy to defraud, and possessing and using false credit cards.
Deputy Judge Colin MacKintosh said immediate custodial sentences were imposed as the offences committed by the defendants were serious.
The judge added that the scheme was premeditated and that the defendants had tarnished the reputation of Hong Kong.
The court heard that on December 7 last year, Lo contacted an ICAC informant for his assistance in planning a false credit card scam.
On December 20, Lo introduced Liu to the informant.
Two days later, Lo had a meeting with the informant. During the meeting, Lo told the informant that Liu was able to obtain a large number of genuine credit card data from some collusive bank staff for the manufacturing of counterfeit credit cards.
The informant and Lo agreed to a proposal that counterfeit credit cards be used at a jewellery shop inside a hotel in Shatin, with the corrupt assistance from the shop's "assistant general manager".
On January 8 this year, Lo arranged the informant to meet Lau. During the meeting, Liu indicated that the syndicate had at least 30 counterfeit credit cards to be uttered at the jewellery shop.
Two days later, the informant introduced an ICAC undercover officer, alias "Tom", to Liu.
During the meeting, Liu said he wanted to use counterfeit credit cards to "buy" $1 million worth of watches at the jewellery shop, and to make a profit of $500,000 out of the scam.
Liu also asked Tom to approach the "assistant general manager", who was posed by another ICAC undercover officer, about the scheme.
In the evening of January 20, Liu and Tom met Ng at the hotel in Shatin, where Liu asked Ng to put his signature on a number of counterfeit credit cards.
Afterwards, Ng and Tom proceeded to the jewellery shop at the hotel to utter the counterfeit credit cards.
Ng was arrested by ICAC officers after he completed a $20,000 transaction, and was found in possession of 13 counterfeit credit cards, a $20,000 credit card payment slip related to the said transaction, and an identity card belonging to another person. L iu was caught in the vicinity of the shop, while Lo was arrested the following day.
The prosecution was today represented by Shaun Kelly on a fiat, assisted by ICAC officers Heath Cheung and Vivian Lee.