Caregiver took bank card belonging to man with dementia and unlawfully withdrew $10,000
Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
Dec 29, 2025
A caregiver tasked with looking after an elderly man who has dementia ended up stealing $10,000 from him.
The 80-year-old man, referred to as V1 in court documents, is unable to keep track of his own money, the court heard.
In an unrelated case, Bernales Derwin Soria, 41, also used the credit card details of a second victim, a 75-year-old man identified as V2, to buy credits worth nearly $1,800 linked to an online game.
Soria pleaded guilty to one count each of theft and cheating on Dec 29.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Johan Tay told the court that Soria was working for a company called Aseana Caregivers at the time of the offences. V1's son had engaged the firm's services, and Soria started working at V1's home on March 24.
The DPP said: "(V1) is unable to handle household expenses... He is also unable to maintain personal hygiene and food hygiene, and requires assistance with taking medication.
"As a result of their prolonged interaction each day, V1 became close with the accused and trusted the latter to the extent of sharing his personal grievances."
Court documents stated that V1 used a bank card to withdraw money from an ATM and Soria would accompany him to do so.
On one such trip, Soria noticed that V1 had written down the password linked to the card on the back of V1's mobile phone.
The offender then decided to memorise the password as he needed more cash for his personal expenses.
Due to his dementia, V1 would occasionally leave his bank card unattended on a table at home. There were also occasions when he would leave it in his used clothes.
On or before March 27, Soria chanced upon the card and decided to take it.
He later used the card to withdraw $10,000 in total over eight occasions between March 27 and April 1.
His misdeeds came to light when V1's brother updated a bank book linked to the account.
Court documents did not disclose what happened next.
Soria, a Filipino, later told investigators that he had sent the money to the Philippines "for the purpose of rebuilding his home", which was purportedly destroyed in a typhoon.
Separately, DPP Tay said that V2, who required regular trips to a hospital, engaged Aseana Caregivers' services from August to early September.
The company then assigned Soria to help V2.
He later got hold of V2's credit card, which he alleged was given to him by a hospital employee.
On Aug 29, Soria was playing an online game via his mobile phone when he tried to buy some in-game features with his own credit card.
When the purchase was declined, he keyed in the details of V2's credit card and the transaction went through.
According to court documents, he deceived Codashop Singapore – a top-up website for official game and app purchases – into delivering in-game credits worth nearly $1,800 in total over nine occasions in August and September.
V2 later noticed the unauthorised transactions on his credit card statements and alerted the police.
Soria, who was arrested on Sept 10, is expected to be sentenced on Jan 22, 2026.
He has made no restitution.
