14 December 2005 – Consul General Maria Theresa P. Lazaro of the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney, Australia, warns Filipino travelers to Australia against  ‘identity theft’ and ‘credit card fraud’.

Consul General Lazaro issued this warning as she informed the Department that a Sydney Local Court has sentenced on 7 December 2005 a Filipino to a six-month jail term after pleading guilty to the charges of using an assumed identity and possessing a counterfeit credit card.   The Department is withholding the name of the convicted Filipino to protect his and his family’s privacy.

The Consul General said that immigration authorities at the Sydney International Airport found discrepancies in the profile of the 36-year-old Filipino upon his arrival on 5 October 2005.  Immigration authorities arrested and detained the Filipino after they discovered in his possession a fraudulent American Express Card and that he was entering Australia under an assumed identity.

Upon being informed of the detention of the Filipino, Consul General Lazaro immediately sent a consular officer to the Parklea Correctional Centre to interview the accused and extend the appropriate assistance.   According to the Consular officer,  the Filipino admitted that the credit card was indeed fake and that he entered Australia under an assumed name.  He further told the consular officer that he was from Bulacan province, and had paid an agent there PhP300,000 after arranging his travel to Australia.

Consul General Lazaro ensured that the Filipino had a state-assigned solicitor to provide legal advice prior to the 7 December 2005 hearing at the Sydney Local Court. Duty Solicitor Cassie Lee of the New South Wales Legal Aid informed the Philippine Consulate General that the Filipino pleaded guilty to the charges whereupon the Court sentenced him to a six-month jail term.

Ms. Lee informed Consul General Lazaro that the sentence on the Filipino was relatively light considering that there were two charges brought against him and that the case of counterfeit credit card possession would have gotten a twelve to twenty-four month imprisonment.  With time already served beginning 5 October 2005, the Filipino is expected to be released and deported to the Philippines sometime in April 2006, the Consul General said.

With the sentencing of the Filipino to a six-month jail term, Consul General Lazaro reiterated that Australia will prosecute and penalize those found to be engaged, willingly or unwillingly, in identity fraud or be in possession of fraudulent credit cards.  END