The man was handed four charges under the Computer Misuse Act. - Photo illustration: Lianhe Zaobao file
SINGAPORE: A man was charged in court on Thursday (May 29) after he allegedly bought KrisFlyer accounts illegally and used the accumulated air miles to make purchases.
Rizaldy Primanta Putra, 28, was handed four charges under the Computer Misuse Act.
Two of the charges were for the unauthorised access to computer material, and the other two were for the unauthorised modification of such material.
According to a police statement, after allegedly accessing the KrisFlyer accounts, Putra, an Indonesian, flew to Singapore in June 2024 and purportedly used the miles from these accounts to buy a Samsung phone and phone cover from a retail shop in Changi Airport, as well as some pastries from a store in Bugis.
The items amounted to more than $1,600.
After Singapore Airlines lodged a police report on Oct 11, 2024, police officers established Putra’s identity, but he had already left the country in September 2024.
Putra returned to Singapore on Jan 11, 2025, and was detained by Airport Police Division officers at Changi Airport.
In court on May 29, Putra indicated his intention to claim trial to the charges.
While he told the court that he has a lawyer, District Judge Wong Li Tein told him that there was no lawyer in court to represent him.
The judge adjourned the case and gave permission for Putra to make two local phone calls to contact his lawyer and to make arrangements for bail.
He will be released from remand if he is able to arrange for a Singaporean bailor to furnish the $15,000 bail offered by the court.
Putra will return to court on June 5 for a further mention of his case.
For each charge of illegally accessing computer material, he can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to $5,000, or both.
He can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $10,000, or both, for each charge of illegally modifying computer material.
In its statement, the police reminded the public to protect their online accounts by enabling multi-factor authentication or two-factor authentication.
“If you notice any suspicious or unauthorised transactions, please report the incident to your service provider or bank immediately,” the police added. - The Straits Times/ANN
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