Man used debit card left behind by date after sex to buy flight ticket and hotel package, gets jail

SINGAPORE — After having sex with an online date in a hotel in Singapore, a man took a debit card left behind by his date and used it to buy a flight ticket and hotel package.

Anislag Mikko Villaflores, 24, was sentenced to five months' jail on Monday (Nov 21) and ordered to pay the victim S$367.32 in compensation.

He pleaded guilty to four charges of cheating, attempted cheating and dishonest misappropriation of property. Another three charges were taken into consideration.

The court heard that Anislag, who is from the Philippines, was in Singapore on a social visit pass.

He met the victim, a 36-year-old man, on a dating application on Sep 22 this year. They met for drinks at a bar near the hotel where Anislag was staying.

After that, they went to Anislag's hotel for consensual sex. However, when the victim left the room, he left behind his belongings including his DBS debit card.

Anislag took the debit card and bought a S$269.76 AirAsia flight ticket, which was scheduled to fly from Bangkok to Manila.

He also used the card to buy a hotel accommodation package in Thailand worth S$1,124.96 from Expedia.

Anislag also tried to buy a S$2,679.92 mobile phone from AliExpress, but did not succeed as the purchase required additional authentication in the form of a One-Time Password.

The victim made a police report on Sept 22, saying his card had gone missing. He also said he had received two SMSes from DBS with a One-Time Password to authorise two transactions that he had not made.

Anislag was detained at Changi Airport on Sept 30 as he was trying to fly out of Singapore to Bangkok, and later arrested.

The prosecution asked for at least five months' jail for Anislag. He said Anislag had undergone gender reassignment surgery. The judge had a concern about which prison Anislag would be going to.

Anislag, who was remanded and had no lawyer, cried as he gave his mitigation. He said his mother had a medical issue and that he did not know who took her to the hospital for her weekly injection.

He said he had been in a cell for almost two months already and that he would "forever bring this learning throughout my life".

"I promise in front of the law of Singapore that I will be a better person. I will forever apply it in my daily life. I don't want to lessen my mom's life anymore. I will not leave my mom's side after this," he said.

On the issue of compensation, the prosecutor said the victim has been compensated accordingly. The hotel package was never used since Anislag was arrested at the airport, so neither the bank nor hotel suffered losses.

The judge left the prison arrangements to the prison service, but said he would include a memo confirming that Anislag's gender reassignment surgery has been completed. CNA