Credit card fraudster begs for mercy
By Cao Li (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-08 05:50

SHANGHAI: A man who committed 180,000 yuan (US$22,195) worth of credit card fraud, stealing the identities of 47 people and cheating six banks, yesterday claimed his seven-year sentence was too harsh.

Shanghai No 1 Intermediate People's Court failed to deliver a verdict yesterday on the first hearing of Ding's appeal for mercy.

Ding Xiaobo, 32, who returned 20,000 yuan (US$2,466) of the money he took, asked Shanghai's No 1 Intermediate People's Court to consider repayment of the stolen money, and his good behaviour following arrest, as evidence he deserved more lenient treatment.

Prosecuting, Dai Yu argued that Xuhui District People's Court had already taken those factors into consideration when handing down the seven-year stretch.

With accomplice Jin Xin, Ding Xiaobo carried out a simple but effective credit card scam.

By placing fake job advertisements in newspapers, the pair got copies of people's identity cards and other personal data.

Ding and Jin then applied for new credit cards using the stolen identities, before withdrawing cash and pocketing the proceeds.

When they were arrested in March, they had racked up 180,000 yuan (US$22,195) from about six banks, using 47 identities.

Two women, Chen Naiying and Cui Ying, were also employed to help run the scam.

Following their arrests, Ding, Chen and Cui returned 20,000 yuan (US$2,466), 12,000 yuan (US$1,480) and 8,200 yuan (US$1,011) respectively.

The gang was sentenced by Shanghai's Xuhui District People's Court in September.

Ding and Jin were sentenced to seven and six years and handed fines of 70,000 yuan (US$8,631) and 60,000 yuan (US7,398).

Chen and Cui were given suspended sentences and fined between 20,000 yuan (US$2,466) and 30,000 yuan (US$3,699).

Credit card fraud has boomed since late 2003 when several domestic banks began intensively promoting the cards.

To attract customers, some banks lowered criteria or simplified application and assessment procedures.

By just filling in a form, successful applicants are handed cards with a minimum 5,000 yuan (US$671) credit limit. Some cardholders withdraw extravagantly with no intention of ever paying their bill, others are totally unable to pay.

To win more customers, some banks allow their branches to issue cards, or even outsource their sales business, thus making it possible for a client to obtain more than one credit card by applying to a number of different outlets.

(China Daily 11/08/2005 page3)