Man busted for using stolen credit card to buy P46k Samsung Galaxy S8

The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) arrested late Wednesday noon a man purchasing a cellphone in a Mandaluyong mall using a credit card of another person, while his female cohort was able to elude authorities.

The suspect was identified as Stephen Francis Lucena, 38, of Tomas Mapua Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila while cohort Nathalia Tripon, alias Liah, of Laon Laan Street, Manila, remains at large.

Initial information showed around 5 p.m., May 10, the PNP-ACG received a call from a bank representative that there was a person being held in a mall for transacting using a credit card with fraudulent information.

The PNP-ACG immediately dispatched a team led by Senior Insp. Artemio Cinco Jr. and coordinated with the mall’s customer relations service (CRS) and security office.

“Yung taga-bangko tumawag na may credit card fraud. We responded immediately for assistance. We have a relationship with the bank. We have a standby team to respond to credit card fraud,” PNP ACG spokesperson Supt. Jay Guillermo.

The suspect used a credit card under the name of one Crispin dela Cruz Rumbawa and bought Samsung's latest flagship phone, a Samsung Galaxy S8, worth P45,990.

It was the standard operating procedure of the store to check the credit card information of the person if the single transaction is more than P30,000. The mall contacted the bank to verify if the credit card is authentic. It was noticed that the photograph appeared in the identification presented by the arrested person is different from the photo associated with the credit card.

“He assumed the position of the person. Nakakuha na ng worth P300,000. Buti na lang through the help of the merchant na contact kami,” said Guillermo.

Recovered from the suspect was a cellphone with an inserted sim card, an ID card bearing the name, and a credit card under the name of the legitimate owner. The cellphone recovered from the suspect was submitted for digital forensic examination.

The suspect claimed that he just found the card and decided to use it.

“Nakuha ko lang naka-envelope nakakalat. Tapos ginamit ko. Cellphone lang po ang binili ko,” Lucena told reporters.

The suspect will be charged for violation of Section 9 (k and n) of Republic Act 8484 (Anti-Access Device) together with his female cohort.

Senior Supt. Ronaldo de Jesus, PNP-ACG officer in charge, encouraged financial and other private institutions to coordinate with the law enforcement agencies for investigative assistance and arresting cyber criminals.

He said the cooperation of the bank in the case is an indication that they trusted the capabilities of the PNP-ACG in curbing cybercrime. — MDM, GMA News