A former bank teller was jailed 50 months on Tuesday for cheating a colleague of $779,000.

Malaysian Ng Ni Ni had admitted to three charges of cheating Ms Phua Sok Gek, 61, of a total of $518,000 in July and August 2010.

Another three charges involving $261,000 were considered during her sentencing.

Ng, 35, was working at United Overseas Bank when she deceived Ms Phua into believing that she would be selling a plot of Malaysian land for $5 million to a US company and that she needed to pay processing fees to receive the sale proceeds, which she knew to be false.

As the purported sum was large, she borrowed money from Ms Phua and further told her that she would receive some interest on the amount she loaned her, a district court heard.

Ms Phua agreed to lend her the money as she had known Ng for a number of years.

The victim lodged a police report on Aug 29 that year when she did not get her money back from Ng.

Ng, who works as a clerk, could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined on each charge.