SINGAPORE - A Malaysian woman

who helped to sell iPhones that were bought using bank card details belonging to others

Yong Huo Ying, 25, was ordered to spend a year, five months and two weeks behind bars after she pleaded guilty to multiple charges including four counts of cheating.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Lewis Tan told the court that unknown individuals in a syndicate had recruited Yong and her accomplice, Quek Jian Qing, 21, who is also a Malaysian, in November 2024.

The pair were told to travel to Singapore and buy multiple iPhones by using the “Apple Pay” application installed on a mobile phone that would be provided to them.

The application would show a virtual credit or debit card which could be used to make contactless payments.

These card details belonged to other individuals. Court documents did not disclose how the syndicate got hold of such information.

After buying the iPhones, Quek and Yong were tasked to sell the devices in Singapore.

They then had to hand over the proceeds to a syndicate member, known only as “MK”, in Malaysia.

Quek and Yong were each promised up to RM3,000 (S$910) for their roles in the ruse.

Quek was in Malaysia on Nov 7, 2024 when MK handed him a Samsung mobile phone that had “Apple Pay” pre-installed.

Quek and Yong met up in Malaysia the next day, and they took Quek’s car to Singapore via the Woodlands Checkpoint.

The DPP said: “Quek’s primary role was to purchase the iPhones using the ‘Apple Pay’ application... while Yong’s primary rol...