‘Father’s comedy of errors,’ S’poreans say about case of boy who stole S$91K from dad’s CPF & insurance to fund fishing & Korea trips
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SINGAPORE: A teenager who took S$91,149 from his father’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts and insurance pleaded guilty on Wednesday (Sept 3) to one charge under the Computer Misuse Act.
The boy, who was 16 years old at the time he took his father’s money, used it for fishing trips as well as a trip to Korea. He will return to the court next month for sentencing.
Netizens commenting on reports about the boy’s misdeeds appear to hold the father at least partially responsible for the trouble the boy found himself in.
What the teen did
In 2023, the boy started helping his father with making payments on apps on his mobile phone. This meant he assisted his dad with applying for online banking, paying the premiums for his dad’s three insurance policies, and checking his dad’s CPF accounts, according to a Mothership report.
In 2024, he began to make transactions without telling his dad. After the teen withdrew S$25,370 from his dad’s CPF accounts, he used his own phone to apply for loans against his dad’s insurance policies. These loans totalled more than S$68,000, which was deposited into his dad’s bank account. Using PayNow, the boy then transferred S$91,149 to his own account.
Last February, after the teen’s dad discovered that his son had taken out loans, he filed a police report, which led to the boy’s arrest. The boy admitted to stealing money from the accounts and stated that he had spent it on fishing trips, as well as a trip he took to Korea in August 2024.
The relationship between father and son appears to be on the mend, as the boy has promised to repay what he stole when he begins working. The boy’s lawyer also said that he has “matured” since the time he committed his misdeeds.
The teen was slapped with three charges under the Computer Misuse Act 1993. He pleaded guilty to the charge of accessing computer material with the intent to commit or facilitate the commission of an offence; the other two charges will be taken into consideration. A probation suitability report and a reformative training suitability report have been called for by the judge.
“Comedy of errors”
Netizens who commented on the report said that the boy’s parents should be held accountable, with some wondering how the boy could get away with a trip to another country without arousing his parents’ suspicion, given the amount of money needed for such a trip.
“The parents never ask how come he got money to go Korea?” wrote one.
“What an incredible object lesson for adults who delegate tasks to their children that they shouldn’t,” observed another.
“Blame father’s comedy of errors of love, trust, and honesty of his blood and eventual betrayal,” wrote one Facebook user. /TISG
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