SINGAPORE - Not knowing how to read or write in English, a lorry driver turned to a loan officer in DBS for help with taking a loan from the bank.

The officer, Ng Eu Hou, tricked him instead and pocketed $3,000 from his account.

Ng, 27, was sentenced to two months' jail on Friday (June 19) after pleading guilty to two charges of deceiving the lorry driver, 65-year-old Teo Kim Wah, into transferring money to him in 2018.

One other charge of cheating Mr Teo and two charges relating to cheating another victim were taken into consideration during sentencing by District Judge Ong Luan Tze.

The court heard that Ng had started working as a direct sales agent for Sin Thai Hin, a company with various business interests including automobile financing, in November 2015. Court documents do not state if he is still employed by the company.

DBS engaged Sin Thai Hin to provide personnel to sell its bank products, and Ng was selected to work as a DBS loan officer at a POSB branch in Yishun North from April to May 2018.

Ng's role included advising customers on personal loans and credit cards and helping them apply for these products.

On May 14, 2018, Mr Teo visited the POSB branch where Ng was working. He had intended to apply for a loan of $5,000 to $6,000.

While attending to the lorry driver, Ng realised that Mr Teo was entitled to a maximum loan of $3,100 but did not inform him.

"The accused observed that the victim was ignorant on the subject of personal loans," Deputy Public Prosecutor Rashvinpal Kaur Dhaliwal said on Friday.

Ng asked Mr Teo to key in his ATM card details, including his personal identification number (PIN), into the bank system before applying for a loan of $3,100 in the driver's name.

Later that day, Mr Teo realised that the loan was of a different amount to what he intended and contacted Ng to cancel it. Ng replied that he would do so and asked him to return to the POSB branch.

When the driver arrived, Ng took him to the branch's ATM and instructed him to key in his PIN.

DPP Dhaliwal said that Mr Teo could not understand English and therefore could not comprehend the instructions on the ATM.

He complied with Ng, as he thought that the loan officer was cancelling the loan, she added.

Ng then made two transfers of $3,000 in total from the driver's bank account to his own account.

The court heard that Ng has since made full restitution to the bank.

On Friday, DPP Dhaliwal said that Mr Teo had placed a high degree of trust in Ng.

"The accused had therefore exploited the trust which the victim placed in him for his own financial gain at the expense of exposing the victim to liabilities for substantial amounts," the DPP said.

When contacted, DBS said on Friday: "We value our customers' trust in us and are committed to safeguarding their interests. The case was promptly reported to the authorities upon discovery in 2018."

For each cheating offence, Ng could have been jailed for up to three years and fined.