Spent RM816 On A Fan, Jeans And Motorcycle Rims Using Someone’s Found Wallet — Now Facing RM8,000 Fines Each
Two Segamat men who found a wallet and used the cards inside to buy a fan, jeans and motorcycle rims were each fined RM8,000 — 10 times what they spent. Neither could pay.
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A found wallet turned into a costly mistake for two men who used the cards inside to make purchases totalling RM816, only to face fines 10 times that amount in court.
The accused, aged 24 and 18, pleaded guilty on Monday (4 May) to three charges of unauthorised card use under the Computer Crimes Act 1997.
Both were fined RM8,000 each and were taken into custody immediately after failing to pay.
The wallet belonged to Chan Jun Ping, 35, who lost it near a hawker centre in Jalan Yong Peng, Segamat, around noon on 22 April.
It contained RM700 in cash, a debit card, a credit card, an identity card and a driving licence.
Victim Traced Suspects Himself Before Police Made An Arrest
Within minutes of losing it, Chan received mobile banking alerts showing his debit card had been used.
He froze it — but the suspects switched to his credit card. By 1 pm, he had filed a police report.
Chan did not wait for investigators to do the legwork.
Using transaction records from his banking app, he traced one purchase to a motorcycle shop and sent a friend to retrieve CCTV footage.
His car dashcam had also captured the moment the wallet was picked up, though the motorcycle’s plate number was unclear.
While patrolling the area himself, Chan spotted a man matching the description, photographed him, and handed the image to the police.
Three Locations, Three Charges, One Afternoon
The three charges covered purchases at a shopping centre via PayWave (RM127.10), a 7-Eleven convenience store (RM39.30), and a motorcycle accessories shop where both a debit card and a credit card were used (RM650 combined). Items bought included an electric fan, jeans and motorcycle rims.
In mitigation, the older defendant — who works at a government-linked company — wept before Magistrate Amarina and cited his ailing parents.
The younger, a car wash worker who had recently started the job, mentioned a critically ill grandfather and limited income.
The magistrate sentenced each man to RM3,500 fines on the first and third charges, and RM1,000 on the second.
They were unable to pay and faced five months’ imprisonment for each of the larger charges and one month for the smaller charge.
What The Law Says
Using a card found on the road is not “finders keepers” under Malaysian law.
Beyond the Computer Crimes Act 1997 — under which the two men were charged — such acts can also attract charges under the Penal Code, including:
- Section 403 (Dishonest Misappropriation) — for keeping and intending to use a found card
- Section 379 (Theft) — up to 7 years imprisonment
- Section 420 (Cheating) — minimum 1 year, up to 10 years, with whipping and fine
- Section 424 (Fraudulent Removal) — up to 5 years
Prosecutors may charge under one or more of these provisions depending on the circumstances.
Had prosecutors pursued charges under Section 420 of the Penal Code instead, the men could have faced mandatory whipping in addition to imprisonment — a reminder that what began as a found wallet carried consequences far beyond an RM8,000 fine.
Parts of this story have been sourced from China Press.
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