Baiduri ATM Fraudsters Get Five Years In Jail
By Malai FadleyRizal

Bandar Seri Begawan - The two Baiduri ATM fraudsters, who 'cloned' cards to carry out their unlawful deeds, were sentenced to a five-year jail term in Jerudong Prison by the Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Er Boon Hua and Loo Kim Meng pleaded guilty to ten charges of having withdrawn money amounting to $11,800 from several personal Baiduri Bank accounts through ATM branches at Shakirin Complex in Kiulap and Gadong Centrepoint in broad daylight on October 5 last year.

The prosecution, DPP Hj Nabil Daraina Pehin Dato Hj Awg Badaruddin highlighted in his submission on the sentencing that "public interest requires for a deterrent sentence under the circumstances" which was well taken care of by the court.

He further added that both were involved in the preparation of the crime, which included monitoring of the ATMs and the placement of a concealed video camera to view the account numbers and PIN numbers entered by unsuspecting Baiduri Bank cardholders visiting the ATMs.

The prosecution also submitted that the criminals upon having enough information on the numbers would subsequently make 'clones' of the ATM cards prepared by other acquaintances. From there, they would start their criminal operations.

The admitted facts stated that they had placed an inconspicuous video camera device at the ATMs giving them the luxury to view other people entering their PIN numbers while images were being recorded wirelessly to a monitor screen inside a vehicle at the vicinity of the ATMs.

Nevertheless, closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) identified Er and Loo making unauthorised withdrawals using a number of gold-coloured bankcards to withdraw the money illegally during the theft occurrence.

They were later apprehended by Sungai Tujoh Police personnel who seized cash amounting to $21,500 from the thieving computer whizzes. It was revealed that the remaining $9,700 was obtained from 'Ah Seng', their accomplice who is still at large.

Policemen conducting a roadblock in front of the Sungai Tujoh Police Post, stopped a silver-coloured E200 Mercedes Benz bearing a Malaysian number plate after they received information and instructions from the BSB Central Police Station to lookout for the said vehicle and detain it upon discovery due to suspicions that the vehicle was being used by suspects in a series of unauthorised withdrawals of money from Baiduri Bank ATMs around BSB earlier.

The total amount of $21,500 was ordered to be returned back to Baiduri Bank Berhad. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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