In the CNA938 Rewind episode titled “‘Finders keepers’ doesn’t apply to $125K appearing in your account,” Noelle Teoh, Associate Lawyer at GJC Law, explained that mistakenly receiving money in your bank account does not entitle you to keep it, and using or retaining such funds can amount to a criminal offence in Singapore.
The discussion highlighted that individuals who knowingly spend or fail to return wrongly credited funds may be liable for offences such as dishonest misappropriation or cheating, depending on the circumstances. Ms Teoh emphasised that the key factor is knowledge and intent, once a person becomes aware that the money does not belong to them, they are legally obligated to return it, and failure to do so can result in serious legal consequences, including criminal charges.
