Hsinchu, January 15, 2026
A woman in Hsinchu has been sentenced to five months in prison, convertible to a fine of NT$150,000, after stealing cash from a fellow passenger on a train and attempting to use a forged signature on a credit card to buy gold.
According to court records, the incident occurred on the morning of October 27, 2024. The woman, identified as Ms. Peng, boarded Taiwan Railways train No. 2153 passing through Zhubei City, Hsinchu County. She noticed a male passenger sleeping and took the opportunity to steal his wallet and stationery bag, seizing NT$4,000 in cash and a credit card.
Ms. Peng then altered the signature on the credit card, overwriting it with her own name in an attempt to impersonate the cardholder. Around 10:12 a.m., she visited a jewelry store in Hsinchu City to purchase one tael of gold using the altered card. The store owner did not notice the discrepancy at the time and allowed her to sign the transaction slip.
The attempted fraud was detected when the bank contacted the store to verify the transaction. The store realized that the signature on the back of the card did not match the cardholder’s name and immediately canceled the purchase. The cardholder, having received a notification of the attempted transaction, reported the theft to the police, leading investigators to Ms. Peng.
The Hsinchu District Court found that Ms. Peng’s actions constituted theft on public transportation and attempted use of a forged document. The court noted that she had a prior theft conviction in 2023, making this a repeat offense within five years, which legally warranted a harsher sentence. However, the court also considered her status as a person with moderate mental and physical disabilities, the relatively small amount stolen, and her non-violent methods, leading to a partial reduction in the penalty for the theft.
While the credit card fraud attempt was unsuccessful, the court emphasized that Ms. Peng’s actions still posed a risk to transaction security, resulting in a separate sentence. Taking into account her admission of guilt, financial situation, and personal circumstances, the court sentenced her to four months for theft and two months for attempted use of a forged document, totaling five months of imprisonment. She was also ordered to forfeit the NT$4,000 obtained from the theft.