Man pleads guilty to $360,000 credit card fraud

July 26, 2005 - 4:27PM

A Malaysian man caught with more than 800 credit card numbers today pleaded guilty in a Melbourne court to a $360,000 fraud conspiracy.

Wee Heong Teoh, 45, formerly of suburban Ormond in Melbourne's south-east, admitting obtaining the credit card numbers using technology not previously seen in Australia.

The Melbourne Magistrates Court had earlier been told that Teoh "skimmed" the numbers over phone lines using a modem and voice recorder system common in Malaysia.

Teoh pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiring to cheat and defraud.

He will appear in the County Court for a pre-sentencing hearing on September 2.

Outside the court, investigating officer Detective Senior Constable Greg Johnson said Teoh had minor links to a conspiracy which could have cost Trinidad-based Scotiabank millions of dollars and was not "heavily involved" as first suspected.

He said Teoh had illegally spent $60,000 on "personal shopping" and had transferred $300,000 overseas.

The court was previously told that Teoh had a wife and four children in Malaysia and had no ties to Australia.

Teoh arrived in Australia on a business visa last year.

He was first arrested in September last year after using a stolen number to pay $142 at a bottleshop in suburban Carnegie.

He was charged with conspiracy to defraud in November last year after an investigation found the modem, recorder, credit card numbers and receipts for diamonds, a Rolex watch and expensive men's clothing.

Teoh, who did not seek bail, was remanded in custody by Magistrate Jelena Popovic.

