A CUSTOMER services officer with a telephone firm took confidential information from a company computer which could then have been used in a 'phone clone' scam, Eastern Court heard yesterday.
But Tong Ka-kin, 26, denies five charges of having access to a computer with criminal or dishonest intent.
The allegations relate to confidential 'electronic serial numbers' which can be misused for criminal purposes.
Prosecutor Kwok Wing-lung said knowledge of the serial numbers could allow unauthorised people to avoid paying for calls they made on mobile telephones.
The court heard that Tong, who worked for Hutchison Telephones Co Ltd, took five of the serial numbers on June 20 last year. He had authorised access to a computer which contained information on portable telephone subscribers, including their telephones' serial numbers.
This information was kept secret to ensure it was not abused, the court heard.
