Boy, 17, who stole over S$90,000 from dad's CPF & insurance for fishing trips & Korea holiday gets 21 months' probation & 1 year in boys' home

In order to pay for his fishing trips and a holiday in South Korea, a 17-year-old boy stole more than S$90,000 from his father.

He first obtained his father's online banking information and withdrew S$25,370 from the latter's Central Provident Fund (CPF) account.

He then took out over S$60,000 in loans using his father's insurance policies as collateral.

As the offender is a minor, he cannot be named in accordance with the Children and Young Persons Act.

Sentencing

According to Shin Min Daily News, the teenager faced three charges of violating the Computer Misuse Act and pleaded guilty in court on Oct. 16.

He was sentenced to 21 months' probation, during which he must observe a nightly curfew from 10pm to 6am, and complete 110 hours of community service.

He was also ordered to stay at a boys' home for one year, with his progress scheduled for review on Feb. 24, 2026.

His parents were also ordered to sign a S$5,000 bond to ensure his good behaviour throughout the probation period.

Promised to pay back the money

In court, the teen expressed regret and vowed to make amends.

Shin Min reported that in his plea for leniency, his lawyer stated that he had pleaded guilty from the start and showed remorse, and that he continues to receive strong support from his parents and brother.

His lawyer further added that the teen fully recognised his wrongdoing and accepted responsibility for his actions, and expressed hope that the judge would grant him an opportunity to reform and demonstrate genuine improvement in the future.

Though none of the stolen funds have been repaid, the teen told the court that he intends to pay his father back after finding a job.

When delivering the verdict, the judge instructed the defendant's parents to keep a close eye on their son and reminded the boy to keep his promise to repay the money.

Stole from his father's CPF account

According to Shin Min, between 2023 and 2024, the offender's father frequently relied on his son to help him in online financial tasks, including applying for an online banking account, paying insurance premiums, and checking the balance of his CPF account.

This gave the teen access to his father's login details.

On Aug. 14 and 15, 2024, he used his father's mobile phone without consent to access his father's CPF account, making two unauthorised withdrawals totalling S$25,370.

Around the same period, between July and August 2024, he also accessed his father's insurance account to take out three loans totalling S$68,027.48, pledging three insurance policies as collateral.

The money was first deposited into his father's bank account. The teen then used the PayNow function to transfer the money into his own bank account.

Between Jul. 11 and Aug. 15 2024, the defendant made 12 transfers totalling S$91,149.

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