An elderly and forgetful employer had her maid write down the bank card PIN on a slip of paper, only for the maid to take advantage and steal the card, withdrawing over S$25,000 (about RM77,000) in 25 transactions over eight months.
According to the 9 June report by Shin Min Daily News, the victim is 83 years old while the accused is a 43-year-old Indonesian woman named Suratmi, who faces three theft charges. The prosecution proceeded on one of the charges, with the other charges taken into consideration during sentencing.
The case details show that in 2020, after being hired, the accused was responsible for caring for the elderly and ailing victim, and shared a bedroom with her.
In April 2024, the accused became aware that the victim kept her bank card in a handbag in the bedroom. Earlier, worried she would forget her bank card PIN, the victim had instructed the accused to write down the PIN on a piece of paper and keep it together with the bank card.
Soon after, the accused became greedy, stole the bank card, and withdrew $1,000 from a nearby ATM, before returning everything to its place. When the theft went undetected, the accused became increasingly bold and continued her actions. Court documents show that from 4 April to 22 December that year, the accused stole the card and withdrew money 25 times, totalling $24,500.
Maid arrested upon returning to Singapore
In December, the victim, dissatisfied with the accused's work performance, decided to fire her and sent her back to Indonesia. The victim subsequently moved in with her daughter. On 17 February 2025, the victim’s daughter helped her withdraw cash and discovered multiple unauthorized withdrawal transactions in the account, prompting them to call the police.
In court, it was revealed that on 3 February this year, the accused was arrested at Changi Airport upon her return to Singapore. Investigations showed that she remitted part of the stolen funds to her family in Indonesia, with the rest spent on personal expenses. None of the stolen money has been repaid to date.
The case details show that in 2020, after being hired, the accused was responsible for caring for the elderly and ailing victim, and shared a bedroom with her.
In April 2024, the accused became aware that the victim kept her bank card in a handbag in the bedroom. Earlier, worried she would forget her bank card PIN, the victim had instructed the accused to write down the PIN on a piece of paper and keep it together with the bank card.
Soon after, the accused became greedy, stole the bank card, and withdrew $1,000 from a nearby ATM, before returning everything to its place. When the theft went undetected, the accused became increasingly bold and continued her actions. Court documents show that from 4 April to 22 December that year, the accused stole the card and withdrew money 25 times, totalling $24,500.
Maid arrested upon returning to Singapore
In December, the victim, dissatisfied with the accused's work performance, decided to fire her and sent her back to Indonesia. The victim subsequently moved in with her daughter. On 17 February 2025, the victim’s daughter helped her withdraw cash and discovered multiple unauthorized withdrawal transactions in the account, prompting them to call the police.
In court, it was revealed that on 3 February this year, the accused was arrested at Changi Airport upon her return to Singapore. Investigations showed that she remitted part of the stolen funds to her family in Indonesia, with the rest spent on personal expenses. None of the stolen money has been repaid to date.