According to a media release, an 18-year-old teenager has pleaded guilty to one count of performing a computer function to commit an offence of cheating. The teenager was found guilty of cheating ComfortDelGro of $2,600 through a system loophole.
He was 17 years old when he committed the offence. He had created a ComfortDelGro account on the 29 Oct 2019. He then linked his debit card to the NETS Click payment method and booked a taxi. With insufficient funds in his account to be deducted, the payment was approved by the company.
After noticing the loophole, the teenager uses the same method to get a free ride. He will transfer all his money out of his account before making a booking. He then proceeds to earn a profit from telegram offering users a cheaper alternative while taking a taxi. In total, the teenager has made 117 bookings causing ComfortDelGro a loss of $2,5983.60.
The taxi company had lodged a police report after its bank alerted them on the fraud.
The Judge has called for an assessment to decide if the teenager is suitable for probation and reformative training. The teenager is set to return to court on 29 Sep 2020 for sentencing.
If convicted, the teenager could be jailed for up to 10 years, fine up to $50,000 or both.