ShareThisMANILA — A new credit card fraud modus operandi was uncovered by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) following the arrest of one of two syndicate’s members who managed to defraud an appliance store in Manila of goods worth over P350,000.
DILG BUDGET. Senator Franklin M. Drilon, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance listens to questions raised by Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero during the Senate hearing on the proposed budget of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Also in photo is DILG Secretary Jessie Robredo and Undersecretary Rico Puno.
NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula identified the arrested suspect as Kelvin I. Barrenechea, 23, single and resident of Sta. Escolastica St., Pasay City.
His alleged cohort, identified as Victoria Ingel, managed to elude arrest.
Lawyer Romy Bon Huy D. Lim, chief of the NBI Criminal Intelligence Division, revealed that on Nov. 16, 2010, Barrenechea and Ingel purchased several items worth some P135,000 from one of the appliance stores at the Harrison Plaza in Malate, Manila, with the use of fake credit cards.
Fortunately, the store employees discovered that the credit cards used by the suspects were fake.
Barrenechea was immediately arrested by security guards. However, Ingel was able to elude arrest, bringing with her the items she purchased with the use of a fake credit card.
It was disclosed that Barrenechea used a credit card bearing the name of Eugene Vega, while Ingel used a credit belonging to Sara Carlos in their transactions with the appliance store.
It was disclosed that the two had a series of transactions with the store since Nov. 13 and they were able to defraud the store of items worth P368,000.
Investigation showed that the suspects used stolen or lost credit cards that were reprogrammed by the syndicate by “cloning” existing/active credit cards.
When the fake credit cards are used, the items purchased are debited to the active credit cards cloned, to the prejudice of the legitimate credit card holders.
Gatdula warned the public and the establishments accepting credit cards as payment for the goods or services rendered to be on guard against fake credit cards.
“It can be easily detected. You have to compare the credit card number with the credit card number in the printout receipt,” said Gatdula during the press conference held at the NBI main office.