Credit Card Scam Alert
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday September 21, 2000
A fraudster set his sights on Wollongong, fleeced businesses of $15,000 and vanished, prompting a warning to retailers to be vigilant during the Olympic Games period.
It is believed the man - who uses credit cards with the fake name of ``John Wang" - has pinched up to $120,000 worth of goods from businesses across Australia.
Wollongong police tracked him to an electrical store last week but he fled minutes before they arrived.
They are continuing their search and have warned retailers to take extra care with credit card sales to avoid being ``stung".
Wollongong Community Safety Officer Rob Havasi said groups of people, well trained in their crime, were moving through regional areas with fake credit cards.
``What has happened during previous Olympic Games is that regional areas like Wollongong become prime targets for fraudulent activities," he said. ``There is such a high police presence in Olympic cities that people move out to areas seen to be less active."
Sgt Havasi said the man wanted for the Wollongong frauds had used two different types of credit cards - both counterfeit.
Similar scams have been uncovered where thieves use ``skimmer" machines to record details from legitimate cards and transfer them to fake cards.
The suspect was 30 to 40 years old, of Asian appearance, 180-185cm tall, thin build with short black hair and crooked teeth.
He had a very strong accent and was wearing a long-sleeved khaki shirt and black dress pants.
© 2000 Illawarra Mercury
