SINGAPORE: An Indonesian maid was found guilty of stealing from her 82-year-old employer’s debit card, withdrawing approximately $70,000 of the elderly woman’s savings—intended for her funeral—over a span of more than a year.
The 37-year-old maid was working as a domestic helper in Singapore and living with her employer when the incident occurred. The suspect now faces several charges, with a total imprisonment term of 14 months.
According to investigations, the victim had two debit cards in her wallet. She wrote her PINs on a piece of paper and stuck the paper to the debit cards.
When the victim’s wallet was left at home on the table, the suspect knew it contained the debit cards and was tempted to commit the crime. When the elderly woman was not looking, she took the debit card from the wallet and went to an ATM to steal money.
The case also reveals that between 2023 and 2025, the suspect stole nearly $70,000 from the elderly woman’s savings for her funeral on 86 separate occasions.
The suspect was arrested in October this year and charged in court the following day. Furthermore, she has not yet compensated the victim for the money.
In Singapore, illegally obtaining personal information is a crime. It is illegal to obtain someone else’s personal details if it helps commit a crime, particularly if an individual knows that the information was taken without the owner’s permission.
Moreover, if stealing involves the use of technology, the person may also be charged under the Computer Misuse Act for unauthorised access to computer systems.
The punishment for illegally obtaining personal information can be a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to 3 years, or both.
Victims of such crimes can make a police report at a police station, online through the Singapore Police Force website, or by calling the ‘999’ police emergency line.
