A former nurse in Singapore faces legal consequences for misusing patients’ bank details for unauthorized transactions.
A 23-year-old former nurse has been apprehended for allegedly exploiting the bank card details of patients entrusted to his care, resulting in unauthorized transactions exceeding S$12,000.
The individual, who served as a Woodlands Health nurse stationed at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) during the incident, was identified and arrested by Jurong Police Division officers, according to a police statement released on Sunday (Jan 21).
The incident was reported on Sept 17, 2022, when a victim uncovered unauthorized transactions conducted with his bank card details. Preliminary investigations disclosed that the victim had sought medical attention and was subsequently hospitalized. During his hospital stay, he woke to find an unfamiliar individual going through his belongings, but due to his drowsy state, he was unable to intervene. Subsequent police efforts revealed the suspect’s identity.
Further investigations revealed that the former nurse breached the trust expected of a healthcare institution staff member by accessing patients’ bank card details. He achieved this by obtaining victims’ banking credentials through access to their phones, subsequently engaging in various offenses with the acquired information.
The police disclosed that the suspect is allegedly linked to other similar cases involving patients of the hospital, with losses exceeding S$12,000. He is slated to face charges on Monday, encompassing offenses such as cheating, unauthorized access with the intent to commit or facilitate theft, making unauthorized modifications to a computer, and unauthorized access to computer material.
If convicted of theft under the penal code, the individual could face up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. Cheating convictions carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine. The Computer Misuse Act stipulates that unauthorized modification of computer material may result in a fine of up to S$10,000, up to three years’ imprisonment, or both. Unauthorized access to computer material is punishable by a fine of up to S$5,000, up to two years’ imprisonment, or both. Additionally, access with the intent to commit or facilitate the commission of an offense could lead to a fine of up to S$50,000, an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, or both.
