Courier finds unlimited SIM card, spends $3000 and faces court

A court in China's Jiangsu province has handed down a sentence to a courier who appropriated a corporate SIM card he found on the street. The man used the unauthorized line for online shopping and paid subscriptions, causing over $3000 in corporate damages.

• The incident took place in the Changzhou Economic Development Zone.
• The courier used the corporate card from May 2025, spending over 20,000 yuan.
• The company failed to block the card promptly and contacted police after an audit.
• The court sentenced the man to 8 months suspended imprisonment and a 40,000 yuan fine.

Background and Misuse of the SIM Card

The courier, surnamed Chen, found the unlimited balance SIM card after his own mobile number was disconnected due to unpaid debts, leading him to treat the found card as a temporary replacement. He used it to subscribe to various music and video streaming services and began purchasing goods online. Later, he registered a new delivery service work account using the same phone number, allowing him to continuously take advantage of paid services at someone else's expense.

Corporate Oversight and Investigation

The SIM card belonged to a company located in the Changzhou Economic Development Zone in Jiangsu province. The organization operated under a monthly billing scheme with the telecom operator, meaning costs for calls, mobile data, and purchases were automatically deducted from the corporate account. After losing the card, the company failed to notify the operator in a timely manner. Chen's expenses eventually exceeded 20,000 yuan (around $3000), and the discrepancy was only uncovered during an internal financial audit, prompting the company to report the theft to police.

Court Verdict and Legal Qualification

Law enforcement officers quickly identified the suspect using data linked to his Alipay account. Following a police summons, Chen voluntarily reported to the station and confessed to his actions. During the investigation, the prosecutor's office classified his offenses as theft aimed at the illegal appropriation of another's property. Following a public trial conducted by the Changzhou Economic Development Zone People's Procuratorate, the court sentenced Chen to eight months in prison with a one-year suspension and ordered him to pay a fine of 40,000 yuan.