Cops nab man who used fake IDs to transfer mobile phone credit from other users

KUALA LUMPUR: A man has been arrested for fraudulently transferring mobile phone credit from other users to pre-paid accounts that he had registered.

Police investigations found that the suspect forged identification documents in order to register pre-paid plans in the names of a telecommunications company's (telco) existing customers.

Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said they arrested the 32-year-old suspect at a house at Kota Baru, Kelantan on Tuesday (Oct 19).

"We seized three mobile phones and six SIM cards as well as computer equipment

"The suspect has been remanded until Oct 23 to assist further investigations," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 20).

"The suspect allegedly changed details in his identification documents to match the information of customers who were registered for post-paid plans with a telco.

"The suspect then used the (forged) identity card to open a new pre-paid plan with the same telco," he said, adding that the suspect would then register the number using the telco's app.

He said once the new phone number was registered, the system would presume that the number was owned by the same registered customer, and allow the suspect to transfer credit between lines.

"As of now, the telco has incurred losses of RM3,882 due to the illegal transfer of credit.

"We have opened investigations into cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code," he said, adding that the suspect has been linked to at least eight cases with a similar modus operandi.