Maid jailed for stealing credit cards
In one month, a foreign domestic worker used her employer's credit cards, which she had stolen, to buy a smartphone, groceries and a pair of spectacles amounting to about $1,500.
Myanmar national Yin Yin Maw, 38, was sentenced to eight months' jail and fined $6,000 yesterday.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of theft-in-dwelling, five counts of cheating and one count of working without a valid work pass.
Yin was working for Mr Chua Leng Wah, 55, as a part-time cleaner on weekends.
She had been working for Mr Chua since February 2016 and was paid $15 an hour. She would sometimes also be given extra allowance.
On Jan 5, Yin noticed Mr Chua's wallet on his table and took his CIMB Platinum MasterCard.
SAMSUNG PHONE
Days later, she spent about $430 on the card to buy a Samsung Galaxy A7 smartphone and also bought a pair of spectacles for about $175.
Mr Chua later lodged a report stating he had lost his CIMB credit card and there had been unauthorised transactions on it.
On Jan 20, Yin saw Mr Chua's United Overseas Bank Visa credit card on the table and took it.
She then used it to buy clothes amounting to about $190 from BHG department store.
She also used the cards to buy groceries on multiple occasions from NTUC FairPrice, for food and drinks at eateries and to top up her ez-link card.
No restitution has been made.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Genevieve Pang said there was a certain degree of planning involved and Yin had used the cards to buy things for personal use.
Yin, who was unrepresented, pleaded for leniency and said she was remorseful.
For theft-in-dwelling, she could have been jailed up to seven years and fined.
For cheating, she could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined.
She could also have been jailed up to two years and fined up to $20,000 for working without a valid employment pass.
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