Jail for man linked to syndicate who bought iPhones worth over $13k with victims’ bank card details
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Quek Jian Qing taken to a cashier counter at the Best Denki store in Parkway Parade by the police on Nov 14, 2024.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
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SINGAPORE – Two Malaysians were recruited by unknown individuals in a syndicate and were told to travel to Singapore to buy multiple iPhones using an “Apple Pay” application.
The app was linked to virtual credit or debit cards belonging to others that could be used to make contactless payments.
The prosecution said that after making the purchases, the pair – Quek Jian Qing, 21, and Yong Huo Ying, 25 – were told to sell the iPhones in Singapore and hand over the proceeds to a person, known only as “MK”, in Malaysia.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Lewis Tan added that Quek and Yong were each promised up to RM3,000 (S$910) for their roles in the offences.
On May 20, Quek, who bought seven iPhones worth more than $13,000 in total, was sentenced to three years and 10 days’ jail.
He had pleaded guilty to six charges, including four counts of cheating. Six other charges were considered during his sentencing.
Yong’s case is pending.
DPP Tan told the court that the pair were in Malaysia on Nov 7, 2024, when MK provided Quek with a Samsung mobile phone that had “Apple Pay” pre-installed.
Court documents did not disclose how the syndicate got hold of the victims’ card details.
The Samsung phone was specifically intended for Quek to make contactless payments for the iPhones.
Quek and Yong met up in Malaysia the next day, and they took Quek’s car to Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint.
Later that day, Quek bought an iPhone worth $1,899 at an Apple store at Marina Bay Sands and used the app to pay for it.
A 39-year-old Singaporean woman’s credit card details were linked to the platform, and he made the purchase without the victim’s knowledge.
After that, Quek left the store, as he did not want to trigger any suspicions.
The woman, identified in court documents as A1, received an SMS alert from her bank about the transaction and she lodged a police report soon after.
DPP Tan said: “A1 confirmed that the transaction was not authorised by her, and that she did not lose or provide anyone else with her bank details.”
Using the credit card details of other victims in the “Apple Pay” app, Quek went to other places that same day, including an Apple store in Orchard Road, and bought six more similar iPhones.
DPP Tan said: “Quek and Yong then sold the seven iPhones for $1,520 each and conspired to transfer some of the sale proceeds (totalling $3,040) to a Singapore bank account provided by the syndicate.
“But for the prompt intervention of the local enforcement authorities who arrested Quek and Yong as they attempted to leave Singapore for Malaysia on the same night, (the pair) would have been able to leave Singapore with the remaining proceeds – $7,600 in cash.”
On May 20, DPP Tan noted that Quek and Yong had come to Singapore for the specific purpose of buying the iPhones with the victims’ credit card details.
He stressed that the offences were planned and premeditated, and urged the court to sentence Quek to at least three years and one month in jail.
Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times’ court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts.
