Maid withdraws $86k from employer's bank account to fund gambling addiction, pawns jewellery
To fund her gambling addiction, a domestic helper in Singapore allegedly stole $86,000 from her employer within a period of eight months and pawned seven pieces of gold jewellery worth $20,368.She was sentenced to 20 months' jail for her crimes, after being charged with one count of criminal breach of trust and one count of theft, Shin Min Daily News reported on Saturday (Jan 17).According to Shin Min, the court heard that in May 2024, the 42-year-old defendant, a Myanmar national, was entrusted with an ATM card and pin number by her 75-year-old employer.The helper was told that she could use the ATM card to withdraw $2,000 every month for groceries and basic needs. She would also help to withdraw funds whenever the employer wanted to travel to Johor Bahru.Later that year, the employer allowed her an advance of $10,000 on her salary. She was earning around $700 to $800 a month at the time, Shin Min reported.However, between December 2024 and July 2025, the defendant illicitly withdrew $2,000 on 43 occasions, amounting to $86,000 in total.