Maid gets jail for stealing red packets from employer after he chanced upon her TikTok clip of loot

SINGAPORE — While scrolling through TikTok, a man chanced upon his domestic helper’s account and found a video of a red packet that was given to him by his late father-in-law.

Upon checking the box where he kept his red packets, he realised that several packets were missing.

On Friday (Aug 25), Nurfiyawati, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of theft from her employer and was sentenced to three months’ jail.

The Indonesian national goes by only one name.

Nurfiyawati had been employed by Mr Sim Yuan San, 41, since January 2022, and her duties included cleaning, cooking and taking care of his four-year-old son.

While the family was on holiday in Korea in May 2022, Nurfiyawati searched Mr Sim's room and found a box containing around 50 to 60 red packets.

The box was in the storage component of Mr Sim’s bed, and each packet had between S$10 and S$400.

She took two packets and kept the money, said state prosecuting officer Lam Peng Choy.

On at least 32 occasions between May and Aug 21, 2022, the maid continued to steal two red packets containing money on a weekly basis from the same box, said the prosecutor.

One day, Mr Sim was scrolling through TikTok when he chanced upon Nurfiyawati's account, where she had posted a video of a red packet with some money.

Recognising the packet as it was a gift from his late father-in-law, Mr Sim checked the box and realised several red packets and cash were missing.

He then checked the accused’s room and found several empty red packets belonging to him.

Nurfiyawati admitted that she had stolen at least S$7,000 from him — most of which was remitted to Indonesia.

Mr Sim then reported the theft to the police. 

No restitution had been made and the money was not recovered.

For stealing from her employer, Nurfiyawati could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined.