An Indonesian man in Taiwan on an apprenticeship program at an electronics factory in Miaoli County, western Taiwan, had his debit card stolen earlier this month.
The card was stolen by a friend on the same program who used it to run up a debt.
The card owner filed a report to Tongxiao Precinct of the Miaoli County Police Bureau after he realized his VISA debit card had been stolen at the beginning of May. He received mobile SMS notifications about eight “mysterious” transactions amounting to NT$30,000 (US$1,000), The Liberty Times reported.
Officers went through security camera footage where the suspicious transactions took place and saw the face of the suspect at a telecommunications service provider branch in Dajia District, Taichung.
The card owner identified the suspect, who was also an Indonesian, as one of his classmates in the same apprenticeship program in the factory in Yuanli town.
Police conducted a search at the man’s hostel room where a new Apple iPhone 8 Plus was recovered and seized. He admitted to police he had stolen the man’s card and used it to buy things.
He was arrested on fraud and larceny charges and the case was referred to the Miaoli District Prosecutors Office.