Couple cheats donors of nearly $10k by pretending to collect funds for charity, gets 36 weeks' jail

Two former employees of the Bedok Youth Society for the Disabled managed to cheat almost $10,000 from donors by pretending to be collecting donations on behalf of the voluntary welfare organisation (VWO).

Noryana Mohamed Salleh, 37, and her boyfriend, Rajzaed Sedik, 39, were each sentenced to 36 weeks’ jail on Monday (May 14), reports The Straits Times. 

Noryana worked as a donation telemarketer in the organisation while Rajzaed was the donation collection rider. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Alexander Woon said that Noryana started working for the VWO in early 2012, and had been tasked to contact a group of regular donors to ask if they would like to continue contributing to the VWO. 

DPP Woon added that Noryana resigned from her position in December 2012, while Rajzaed who joined the society two months after Noryana, quitted in November. 

Part of Rajzaed’s job involved visiting the donor’s home to collect donations, and issuing receipts for said donations. 

The couple later came up with a plan to steal the VWO’s collection receipt booklets from its office at Block 10 Chai Chee Road.

The pair visited the office at about 11pm on January 2013. 

Noryana then entered the office using keys, while Rajzaed waited outside for her. 

They left after Noryana took a booklet. 

DPP Woon told District Judge Kessler Soh that Noryana had made a copy of a list of the society's regular donors while she was working for the VWO.

She subsequently contacted these donors between January and August 2013 to ask for donations. 

DPP Woon said: "After a potential donor had indicated his or her willingness to donate to the society, (Rajzaed) would proceed to collect the cash donations from the donor.

"(Rajzaed) would then issue a genuine receipt belonging to the society which (Noryana) had stolen... or present a fake receipt which they had photocopied."

The couple spent the money collected and have not made any restitution.

The two were arrested after the VWO’s honorary general secretary alerted the police to their offences on Aug 15, 2013.

It is not known how their actions were uncovered.

Both Noryana and Rajzaed pleaded guilty to one count of theft each, and 19 cheating charges on May 8. 

During their sentencing, another 378 similar charges were taken into consideration.

They were offered bail of $15,000, and Judge Soh has allowed them to start serving their sentence after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

They will have to surrender themselves at the State Courts come June 20.