Modus Card Engineering: Amex Stolen Card Used for Luxury Shopping in Singapore

Illustration of the American Express card. (Wikimedia Commons -  Petr Kratochvil)

JAKARTA - A Chinese citizen living in Thailand has been sentenced to five years and four months in prison in Singapore. He was proven to have used a bank card to buy luxury goods worth more than 100,000 dollars.

Citing The Straits Times, Friday, May 8, a man named Liu Hesheng, 50, bought two Rolex watches, Chanel and Prada bags, and a Cartier bracelet in January 2025. He knew the card he was using had been engineered.

Court documents say the Japanese bank card used by Liu contains a chip from a stolen American Express or Amex card. The original card was taken from Yunomori Onsen in Pattaya, Thailand, when its owner visited from January 13-17, 2025.

The Amex card chip is then exchanged for a chip from another stolen card. In this way, the card looks different on the outside, but can be used for transactions.

Liu knew a man called "Boss Huang", a regular customer of his massage parlor in Thailand. Boss Huang gave Liu three Japanese bank cards and asked him to buy luxury goods in Singapore.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Yeo Kee Hwan said Liu acted out of greed. He is said to have received a signal that he could profit from the purchase of these items.

"It was implied to him that he could gain an advantage by making these purchases," Yeo said, quoted by The Straits Times.

Prosecutors said Liu was also given the name to sign fake identity documents and documents when asked for proof during the transaction. Liu did not know whose card it was, but suspected the card was stolen.

Liu arrived in Singapore on January 18, 2025 and started shopping the next day. He left Singapore via Changi Airport on January 21 with the goods. One of the Rolexes he even wore because he liked it.

The case was uncovered after the store owner made a police report on January 23. Amex informed that a fraudulent transaction had occurred. Two other stores then made similar reports.

When he was arrested at Changi Airport on February 10, 2025, police seized the Rolex Liu was wearing and five cards. Three of them were not his and showed signs of having been manipulated.

Liu previously pleaded guilty to three fraud charges. In court, he gave several different statements. He admitted to working alone to cover the involvement of other parties and avoid the alleged syndicate. Later, he changed his mind and called Boss Huang.

Yeo said police and prosecutors had to spend a lot of resources to ascertain the facts of the case as Liu's statements changed.

All the goods that Liu bought with the engineering card have now been found.