Students inventive effort to return lost credit card goes viral

The story of two students who found a lost credit card and returned it to its owner in a creative way has gone viral.

According to a report by a local TV network Jeju International Broadcasting System, on the evening of April 19, a Jeju resident surnamed Han received a text message informing him of a charge of 300 won ($0.2) at a convenience store made with his lost credit card. At that point, he did not even know that it was missing.

The next day, he called the card company to report the missing card. The company suggested that he check the location of the last payment -- the convenience store where the purchase of 300 won was made.

When Han visited the store, he found his card wrapped in a plastic bag with 300 won in cash, which had been entrusted to the staff there. He requested footage from the store’s surveillance camera and saw two female students buying candy with the card and then giving 300 won to a staff member.

The staff later told a local media outlet that the students used the credit card to alert the card’s owner and to let the person know where to go to find it. The staff said that she had never considered this method of returning a lost card to its owner and thought the students were kind.

Han also expressed hope that he could convey his appreciation if he had the chance to meet them.

However, despite the good intentions, the act of making a purchase with someone else’s credit card could lead to legal troubles. Under the law, when an individual sells or uses a missing card, they can be subject to a penalty of up to 50 million won or up to seven years in jail.