SINGAPORE, Dec 30— A caregiver entrusted with looking after an elderly man with dementia instead stole S$10,000 (RM31,455.44) from him, a court heard on Monday.

Filipino Bernales Derwin Soria, 41, pled guilty to one count each of theft and cheating, with the offences involving two elderly men under his care, Singapore news outlet The Straits Times reported.

The 80-year-old victim, referred to as V1, was unable to manage his own finances and relied heavily on assistance for daily living, including medication and hygiene.

At the time, Soria was working for Aseana Caregivers and had been assigned to V1’s home from March 24, where he gradually gained the man’s trust.

Soria later noticed that V1 had written down his ATM card PIN and, after finding the card unattended, withdrew a total of S$10,000 over eight transactions between March 27 and April 1.

The theft was uncovered when V1’s brother updated the bank book linked to the account, after which Soria admitted sending the money to the Philippines, claiming it was to rebuild his typhoon-damaged home.

In a separate case, Soria used the credit card details of a 75-year-old man, V2, to buy nearly S$1,800 (RM5,660.01) worth of online game credits after his own card was declined.

V2 discovered the unauthorised charges and reported the matter to police, leading to Soria’s arrest on September 10.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 22, 2026; no restitution made.