March 9, 2015
Police are warning local residents to keep a close eye on their purses and wallets as a number of thieves in Kingaroy have been taking advantage recently of new “contactless” credit cards.
Cards such as Visa PayWave or Mastercard PayPass allow their holders to make purchases of less than $100 simply by tapping the card close to a card reader in a store. There is no need to swipe, insert a PIN number or sign anything.
Acting Officer-In-Charge of Kingaroy Police, Acting Senior Sergeant Jason Newton, said there had been eight cases of fraud involving these type of cards reported over the past week.
“People had either lost their wallets or misplaced them, and the cards were stolen from them,” Acting Snr Sgt Newton said.
He said Kingaroy police were asking people to become “security aware” in regards to their personal belongings, and report any lost or stolen cards as soon as possible to their bank.
Many of the frauds occurred at businesses that had CCTV installed.
“At the moment we are going through the identification process. We will find the people who are responsible,” he said.
According to both the Visa and Mastercard websites, the original owners of the cards are not responsible for any fraudulent or unauthorised transactions on their cards.
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Police are also investigating a string of break-ins which have occurred in Kingaroy over the past week.
Acting Snr Sgt Jason Newton, said the door of a business in the Youngman Street industrial estate was forced open last Monday night.
A thief or thieves entered the premises and stole a cash register and a small amount of money.
On Friday night, thieves broke into a garden shed in Harris Road, Kingaroy, causing damage as they tried to force open some cabinets.
Then on Sunday morning, thieves removed louvres to gain entry to a business in Jarrah Street.
Acting Snr Sgt Newton said they had obviously looked around inside but nothing appeared to have been stolen.
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A 17-year-old Kingaroy youth has been charged with public nuisance after an incident in Youngman Street on Saturday night.
The youth was arrested after allegedly becoming involved in a fight. He has been ordered to appear in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on March 30.
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A 31-year-old Nanango man has been charged with a low-range drink-driving offence after he was breath-tested by police in Appin Street, Nanango, at 10:40pm on Thursday.
Police will allege he had a BAC of .085. He will appear in Nanango Magistrates Court on April 9.
