Police investigate bank employee for embezzlement of elderly clients in Turku, Finland

The police have completed a preliminary investigation into a case involving a bank employee suspected of embezzling funds from elderly clients and a sports club in southwestern Finland. According to a police statement, unauthorized transfers were made from the accounts of 19 clients between 2014 and 2022. Over nine years, the woman is accused of stealing a total of approximately €179,000 from her victims. The bank has reimbursed the affected parties around €160,000.

The crime came to light when a bank customer inquired about an unclear account balance in December 2022, prompting the police to initiate an investigation.

All the targeted clients were elderly or from deceased estates. The suspect is a 56-year-old woman who worked primarily as a bank teller in a branch located in Turku.

The investigation leader, Crime Commissioner Valtteri Kemppi from the Southwest Finland Police Department, stated that the suspect likely chose victims who were less likely to report her actions. Among the victims were individuals who, according to her profiling, were lonely and thus in a vulnerable position.

The woman faces charges of two counts of aggravated embezzlement and aggravated money laundering. Additionally, three individuals in her immediate circle are also suspected in relation to the money laundering offense. The main suspect has largely admitted to her actions, while the other suspects deny the money laundering allegations.