5-2-2024 (SINGAPORE) A 46-year-old Indonesian maid, Albertina Kallu, found herself sentenced to 16 months in prison on Monday (Feb 5) for exploiting her 82-year-old employer’s banking details to siphon off more than S$41,000 (US$30,500) beyond her entitled salary.
Albertina admitted guilt to a charge of accessing computer material with intent to commit criminal breach of trust by an employee.
The court learned that Albertina was employed by an elderly woman grappling with dementia and memory loss. She received a monthly salary of S$720 either in cash or via bank transfers.
In April 2023, the elderly employer, owing to her poor eyesight, entrusted Albertina with the details of her DBS bank account to facilitate the salary transfers. The account, jointly owned by the victim and her niece, served as the repository for the victim’s investment savings and daily expenses.
Albertina was authorised to manage the account solely for the purpose of processing her salary payments. However, between April and October of the same year, she orchestrated numerous unauthorised outgoing transfers that far exceeded her salary entitlements.
Her illicit transactions began modestly in April with a transfer of S$954, escalating to S$470 in May, and S$780 in June. The amounts surged significantly thereafter, reaching S$3,780 in July, a staggering S$14,780 in August, and S$11,280 and S$9,280 in September and October, respectively.
In total, Albertina diverted S$41,324 from her employer’s account into her own, channeling the entire sum to her bank account in Indonesia, where she utilised it for various purposes, including constructing a house. Notably, she has made no attempts at restitution.
The fraudulent scheme came to light in October 2023 when the victim’s niece uncovered the irregularities while reviewing the bank statements associated with their account. Subsequently, a police report was filed, and Albertina was promptly apprehended at the victim’s residence on the same day.
The penalties for unauthorised access of computer material to commit an offence include a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to S$50,000, or both.
