Nurse embezzles 15.7 million baht from dead man’s bank

A 46 year old nurse faces time in prison for allegedly stealing almost 16 million baht from a dead man’s bank account.

Satang Thongramphan from Phitsanulok province in northern Thailand transferred 15.7 million baht from the man’s account to hers using his stolen smartphone via a mobile banking app.

Police arrested the woman at her house in Phitsanulok, Muang district following a complaint by the dead man’s son, Patiwat Thaisom.

The 31 year old told police that his father, a 56 year old former bank employee, had died of stomach cancer on August 9 and he was the owner of the smartphone stolen by the woman.

The police obtained a warrant to search her home and found 2,329,000 baht in cash, a 10-baht weight of gold bullion worth about 299,500 baht, a Chevrolet Optra which belonged to the dead man, six mobile phones and six bank account deposit books.

Police also seized 12 million baht in cash from the back of a Mitsubishi lancer parked at a house on Pracha Uthit Road in Phitsanulok.

Under questioning, the woman said she was caring for the sick man as he was being treated for stomach cancer at a care centre in Phitsanulok until he died.

Satang denied stealing the money or the man’s smartphone and told officers that she was only following the dead man’s instructions.

Satang used the man’s smartphone and his password to make 17 transactions between August 9 and August 16 on a Krungthai Bank app totalling 15,790,000 baht.

On August 21 she withdrew 3 million baht from her bank account and another 12.7 million baht on August 24.

She allegedly used some of the money to buy gold bullion and stashed the rest of the money in the back of her car.

She has been charged with theft and bank fraud under the Criminal Code and violating the Computer Crime Act.

Under Section 14 of the Computer Crime Act 2007, a person shall be liable for committing fraud if he or she deceives another person by importing false data that may cause damage to the public. Such a person shall be punishable by imprisonment for five years or a fine not exceeding 100,000 baht or both.

SOURCE: Chiangrai Times