Suspect arrested for stealing credit cards left behind at unmanned shops in Sejong

A suspect has been arrested for stealing credit and bank cards left behind by other customers at unmanned stores and using them to make purchases.

[JOONGANG ILBO]

A suspect has been arrested for stealing bank cards left behind by other customers at unmanned stores and using them to make purchases.

Sejong Northern Police Precinct said Friday that it detained the suspect on charges including theft at unmanned shops.

The suspect is accused of stealing 21 credit and debit cards left behind at unmanned convenience stores and other shops in Sejong between Oct. 1 and Nov. 3, according to police. They then used the cards 127 times to buy items at stores or pay for PC room fees, earning around 490,000 won ($330).

The unemployed suspect admitted to the offenses. They told police that they “saw people sometimes leave their cards behind at unmanned stores and used them to cover living expenses or daily necessities.”

Police sought an arrest warrant, noting that the suspect had previous convictions for similar offenses, yet continued committing the same crimes.

“If credit cards are not properly managed after payment, they can become targets for crime,” a police official said, urging unmanned store owners and customers to exercise caution.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JUNG SI-NAE [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]