Kuching: DAP Sarawak chairman and Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen has called for a full criminal investigation after a man discovered that a second credit card – one he never applied for – was issued under his name and used for overseas transactions.
Chong, who met the victim recently, said the circumstances of the case went far beyond a typical “credit card dispute” and were likely to involve identity theft, a serious criminal offence.
“This is extremely serious. If someone is able to apply for a credit card under your name without your knowledge, this is not just fraud – it could involve identity impersonation, which is a very severe criminal act,” Chong said after hearing the victim’s account.
Victim Advised to Lodge Police Report and FMOS Complaint
The victim had approached Chong after failing to obtain clear answers from the bank.
He discovered more than RM3,000 in overseas transactions linked to a credit card number that was not his, along with multiple huge amount attempted transactions flagged in the bank’s internal system.
According to the victim, he had never applied for a second credit card, nor had he travelled overseas or made any related transactions. However, the bank showed him a transaction receipt for overseas spending linked to a credit card number that was clearly not his.
At the same time, the bank’s internal system displayed multiple attempted transactions of RM5,000, RM300, and RM400, many of which failed.
“The credit card number on the receipt the bank gave me is completely different from my actual credit card number. Even the bank manager couldn’t explain where this number came from. The more I investigated, the more worried I became – could this be an internal staff member impersonating me?” the victim questioned.
The victim added that, on his first inquiry, the bank provided him only with the receipt, without any proper explanation. During his second visit, the bank asked him to fill in a dispute form and suggested that he lodge a police report. He said he could not understand how an extra credit card could exist under his name, and he could not accept the bank’s casual handling of the matter.
Chong urged the victim to immediately lodge a second police report, specifically requesting that police open a criminal investigation and look into whether any bank personnel may have played a role.
Beyond the police report, Chong advised the victim to file a complaint with the Financial Markets Ombudsman Service (FMOS), saying regulatory oversight was necessary to ensure the bank was held accountable for any negligence or breaches of security.
Chong stressed that banks are entrusted with safeguarding the public’s hard-earned money and with protecting customer data and account security.
“Once identity impersonation or internal negligence is suspected, the bank must bear full responsibility,” he said.
He added that he will continue monitoring the progress of the victim’s case and assist whenever necessary.
