HER credit cards, stolen without her knowledge, funded somebody's shopping spree comprising three Rolex watches worth $5,700 each. The goods and thieves are gone. All cardholder Tan Shock Ling, 39, is left with is a $17,100 bill.

The banks are insisting she must pay up, because the transactions took place before she reported the loss of the cards. But the human resource administration manager asked: 'How can I be liable when this is an obvious case of theft?'

If Ms Tan does not pay up, she will incur late-payment charges and interest.

Read the full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times

weichean@sph.com.sg