Two women were arrested yesterday for allegedly using a man's credit card to make unauthorised transactions at retail outlets.

The women, aged 26 and 60, are believed to have used the card to spend more than $1,500 on various goods, such as clothes, toiletries, handbags, healthcare products, a pair of spectacles and two stored-value cards.

Preliminary investigations showed that the 26-year-old woman is believed to have picked up the victim's credit card and made the unauthorised transactions with the 60-year-old woman, the police said in a statement yesterday.

The women are expected to be charged in court today.

The man whose credit card was used by the two women made a police report about his lost card and how several unauthorised transactions, amounting to more than $1,500, were made on it.

Anyone found guilty of dishonest misappropriation of property can be fined, jailed for up to two years, or both.

A person found guilty of cheating can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

The police advised members of the public to be vigilant of their surroundings and to keep their belongings safe in public.

"Merchants and sales staff are advised to exercise vigilance and adopt correct card-acceptance procedures when processing credit or debit card transactions," they added.

Staff should look out for the name and security features on the card and immediately contact the relevant banks for advice if they detect anything suspicious.

The police also advised credit and debit card holders to call their banks immediately if their cards are lost or stolen.

To prevent unauthorised use of their cards, consumers can opt for an SMS notification to be sent to their mobile phones for any charges incurred on their credit or debit cards.

They can also check bank statements and alert the bank immediately if there are discrepancies or fraudulent charges, as well as refrain from giving their card details to strangers.