It has come to light that an Indonesian maid has duped her employer of more than $108, 000 from her bank account, by forging her signature.
It is interesting to note here that Indonesian maid Ai Teti, now 37, had been working for her employer, 68-year-old Madam Yong Fong Peng, for the past 13 years.
A tale of deceit and forgery
Ai Teti embarked on her journey of crime by first stealing Madam Yong’s cheque book, which was related to a UOB joint account that Madam Yong held with her husband.
According to The New Paper, Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephanie Chew said: “She would insert her name into the payee column on the cheque, fill in the amount to be paid and forged a signature purportedly belonging to Madam Yong, one of the authorised signatories.”
Apparently, the maid referred to previous receipts and cheques that Madam Yong had signed, to forge her signature accurately. She then started cashing those cheques for herself.
Money gambled away
The forgery began last May and continued up to November. Ai Teti first started off with small amounts like $600, then gained the confidence to go up to $6000 in a single transaction.
Madam Yong first realised something was fishy when she noted some suspicious withdrawals in her UOB bank statement, last November. She lodged a police report the very next day. By the time she was caught, Ai Teti had swindled a total of $108,350.
It seems, some of the stolen money was gambled away, while the rest was sent home to Indonesia.
Ai Teti has just been sentenced to 21 months of jail.
How to prevent your maid from stealing your money
If you have valuables stacked up in the house and don’t want them to be at the mercy of your maid, here’s what we think might help:
- Keep cash out of sight
Do not tempt your maid by leaving cash and coins carelessly around the house.
- Get that safe
Keep all your valuables, including your jewellery locked up in a safe.
- CCTV camera helps
If you really want eyes on the house when you are not around, get CCTV cameras installed in vulnerable areas.
- Lock your bedroom
Before going out to work, you might want to lock up your bedroom for added safety.
- Never perform monetary transactions in front of your maid
No matter how long your maid has been with you, or how trustworthy you regard her to be, money matters must be kept private.
So, never check your account details in front of your maid, whether you are logging in online or withdrawing cash from an ATM. Also, try not to sign cheques in front of her, she might just be watching you closely.
(Source: The New Paper)