A man has been convicted of stealing a significant amount of money from his friend’s CPF account. This incident took place while the victim was in the hospital.
Yeo Meng Yong, aged 34, used his friendship with the 62-year-old victim to his advantage. He had been visiting her at Gleneagles Hospital, where she was permanently bedridden and unable to communicate. During these visits in June and July 2023, Yeo took the opportunity to access her CPF account.
Using his knowledge of the victim’s passwords for both her phone and mobile apps, Yeo was able to access her account without her permission. He then proceeded to make three separate transfers to his own bank account, totaling S54,000. This was done in three transactions: S$30,000, S$20,000, and S$4,000.
When the victim’s niece became suspicious about the transactions, Yeo denied any wrongdoing. He went so far as to claim he was also a victim and forged a police report to support his lie. The forged document, which he sent to the niece, was an altered version of a police report his mother had filed. When the niece later questioned him further, he became uncontactable, prompting her to file a police report.
Yeo pleaded guilty to two charges under the Computer Misuse Act for the CPF transfers, as well as two additional charges related to assisting a moneylending business and misappropriating cash. When asked by the District Judge if he would repay the stolen money, he stated that he could not afford it, claiming the money he earned was for his family.
The judge, Eddy Tham, described the crime as “highly egregious,” pointing out the defendant’s betrayal of a close friend who was in a vulnerable state. The judge remarked:
“Instead of helping your friend, you have betrayed her trust by helping yourself to her CPF monies to alleviate your own problems.”
Ultimately, Yeo was sentenced to 18 months and two weeks in prison, along with a S$30,000 fine. He faces an additional month in jail if he fails to pay the fine. The judge’s comments emphasized the severity of the crime, noting that Yeo had “no qualms” about taking money intended for his friend’s care and even committed forgery to cover his tracks.
