Clinic assistant in S’pore cheats S$55K from over 500 patients by replacing clinic’s PayNow QR code with her own

Clinic assistant in Singapore defrauded around S$50k from patients by swapping PayNow QR code

A 28-year-old clinic assistant in Singapore swindled more than S$55,000 from over 500 unsuspecting patients by secretly swapping out her clinic’s official PayNow QR code with her personal one — then gambled the entire sum away on an illegal betting site.

Amira Nur Huda Mohamed pleaded guilty to an amalgamated cheating charge on Monday (14 April) and was sentenced to 14 months in jail, The Straits Times reported.

Directed payment to own QR code

According to court documents, Amira began working at a clinic in Block 86, Marine Parade Central, from July 2022 to June 2023.

Her duties included registering patients, dispensing medication, and collecting fees — a role that gave her full access to the clinic’s payment system.

Source: RDNE Stock project on Canva, for illustration purposes only

The clinic accepted payments only via cash or PayNow.

Changed PayNow name to match doctor’s

In January 2023, Amira kicked off her scam by instructing four patients to transfer their payments to her personal mobile number, collecting S$392 in total.

To avoid raising alarm, she even changed her PayNow display name to mimic the clinic doctor’s name.

By February, her deception had escalated. She collected S$3,273.54 from 21 patients, Shin Min Daily News reported, all while issuing official clinic invoices to maintain the illusion of legitimacy.

To maintain the illusion, Amira issued official clinic invoices to the patients.

Swapped out clinic’s PayNow QR code with her own

In April, Amira took the scheme to a whole new level.

She replaced the clinic’s official PayNow QR code — prominently displayed at the counter — with her personal one, effectively funnelling payments directly into her account.

Source: fotodelux on Canva, for illustration purposes only

At the end of each shift, she would discreetly swap the codes back in order to cover her tracks.

Her method worked for months. By the time she was caught, she had cheated a staggering 509 patients, pocketing S$55,437.12.

Scam discovered after patient sent suspicious payment screenshot

The ruse came crashing down when a patient sent a payment confirmation screenshot to the clinic doctor — who noticed the money had gone to a different bank account linked to an unfamiliar mobile number.

Alarmed, the doctor reviewed the clinic’s CCTV footage and swiftly lodged a police report.

Source: MSNews

Deputy Public Prosecutor Gabriel Lee described Amira’s actions as “well-planned and systematic”, adding that she had gambled the entire amount away on an illegal online betting site.

He urged the court to issue a firm sentence, warning that such crimes, if left unchecked, could “undermine public confidence in the use of technology for financial transactions”.

Amira has since returned S$3,000 to the clinic.

Anyone found guilty of cheating can face up to 10 years’ imprisonment and be liable to a fine.

Also read: British woman arrested for allegedly scamming over S$200K in S’pore, victims recognised her through documentary feature

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Featured image by MS News.