Man in S’pore drains S$280k from grandmother’s life savings after she trusts him with her bank accounts

Singapore man drains S$280,000 life savings from grandmother’s bank account

A 22-year-old man in Singapore was sentenced to 20 months and four weeks in jail on Wednesday (9 April) for draining S$280,000 from his grandmother’s bank account, depleting her life savings.

Adam Ilhan Mohamad Idhamsahbani falsely told his grandmother she had been scammed and even repeated this lie to the police, The Straits Times reported.

According to Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Lim Li Ting, the 77-year-old victim, suffering from Parkinson’s disease, relied on Adam to manage five of her bank accounts.

Due to her memory struggles and limited proficiency in English, she depended on her grandson for help with online purchases, bill payments, and donations.

Told grandmother she was scam victim

Between January and December of 2023, Adam drained all five accounts, totalling S$280,000.

Investigations revealed he spent the money on a laptop, desktop, printer, and in-game purchases for online games.

In August 2023, the elderly woman noticed money missing from her accounts.

By December, all of her funds had been drained.

When she confronted Adam, he claimed she had fallen victim to scammers.

To bolster his lie, he forged two letters, which he falsely attributed to the police.

The elderly woman filed a police report, and Adam told the authorities that he had contacted the bank after his grandmother raised concerns about the missing funds.

During questioning by the Ang Mo Kio Police Division, Adam claimed that in October 2023, he received a call from a police officer at the Anti-Scam Command, informing him that the money had been lost to scammers.

Source: Google Maps, for illustration purposes only

He further stated that he met with a police officer in person, who handed him two letters — both of which he had fabricated himself.

Admits to lying during police investigations

The police visited Adam the day after his initial statement to conduct a further investigation.

During this, he admitted to his lies, confessing that he had been tempted by the large sum of money.

In his sentencing, DPP Lim noted that Adam showed no remorse even after being caught.

District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan remarked that this was not a crime of immaturity, but rather a calculated and premeditated act.

In his defence, Adam blamed the elderly woman for “entrusting him with the bank accounts”, which allowed him to withdraw the funds, DPP Lim added.

Judge Shaiffudin rejected a probation suitability report submitted by Adam’s lawyer, stating that the seriousness of the offence outweighed the consideration for probation.

It was noted that Adam had so far compensated S$100,000.

He later pleaded guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust and one count of providing false information to a public servant.

Convictions for providing false information can result in a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine.

For each count of criminal breach of trust, the penalty can include up to 20 years in prison and a fine.

Also read: S’porean woman received over S$711M in company’s bank account, didn’t know where money came from

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