Care worker sentenced for embezzling over €140,000 from elderly couple in Tampere

Pirkanmaa District Court has sentenced a care worker to two years in prison for aggravated payment fraud after she transferred more than €140,000 from the bank accounts of an elderly couple she assisted to her own account over a three-year period, Yle reports.

The woman, who had access to the couple’s bank accounts and credit card details to help pay their bills, made unauthorised transfers totalling €110,345 from the woman’s account and €23,684 from the man’s account. She also made unauthorised withdrawals of €7,914 using the woman’s credit card and took out a loan in her name without permission.

One of the victims was forced into debt collection as a result of the theft. The other victim died before the verdict was delivered.

The crimes occurred in Tampere between 2020 and 2023. The care worker admitted to most of the charges but claimed she had used €25,000 for the couple’s own expenses and that the loan had been taken at their request. The court dismissed these claims as implausible.

The court ruled the offence was aggravated due to its premeditated and prolonged nature, the breach of trust, and the victims’ poor health. The financial harm was deemed particularly severe given the couple’s economic situation.

The convicted woman was ordered to repay the misappropriated funds, with interest, to the surviving victim and the estate of the deceased. The verdict is not yet final, and she has indicated she will appeal.