Former bank staff fined for unauthorised access to bank account
Posted: 13 April 2012 1356 hrs
SINGAPORE: A former United Overseas Bank Limited employee has been fined S$25,200 for accessing the bank's database without authorisation.
28-year-old Sheena Seng Wan Ru had accessed her ex-boyfriend's bank account and illegally withdrew some S$7,000 in cash as she was upset with him for ending the relationship.
Seng was a part-time customer service assistant at the bank, where she handled customers' transactions and had access to the bank's computer server.
Seng pleaded guilty to six charges under the Computer Misuse Act.
25 other similar charges were taken into consideration.
The court heard that Seng, who was in a shaky relationship with the person then, felt "betrayed and let-down" by him.
According to Seng's lawyer, she felt it was "justifiable for her to access his bank account".
She made withdrawals on more than 30 occasions between January and March 2010.
She also made seven purchases worth about S$2,100 with her ex-boyfriend's debit card, and forged his signatures on the cash withdrawal forms.
He was not in the country at the time of the offences.
In mitigation, her lawyer told the court that Seng, who is currently married with a baby daughter, was a first-time offender.
He also noted that she did not access the accounts of other bank customers.
For accessing the bank's computer server without authorisation, Seng could have been jailed up to two years, fined up to S$5,000, or both, for each charge.
- CNA/wm
