Indonesian Bank Staffer ‘Stole $83,000 in Customer Funds to Gamble Online,’ Say Prosecutors

Public prosecutors have accused an Indonesian bank employee of embezzling $83,000 worth of customers’ money to gamble online and pay for living expenses.

The employee, a woman named Maulina Ismunanda Amiruddin, has not been taken into custody because she has recently given birth, the Indonesian media outlet Waspada reported.

Prosecutors told a district court in Sabang, Aceh Province, that the suspect “embezzled funds belonging to a number of customers, amounting to at least IDR 1.4 billion, between April 11 and May 28, 2025.

The trial got underway on February 18.

‘Indonesian Bank Staffer Stole Thousands to Gamble Online’ – Trial Begins

Officials say the staffer abused her authority as a customer service representative. They accused her of accessing the bank’s internal systems to “liquidate deposits and withdraw customers’ savings without their consent.”

According to prosecutors, the woman funnelled the money into her own accounts and took out cash from the bank. She then used the money “to gamble online and pay her bills and living expenses,” they claimed.

The prosecution told the court it would show evidence of a range of “fraudulent schemes.” These include bogus reports of cash deposits, forged customer signatures on withdrawal slips, and opening accounts using misappropriated customer data, prosecutors say.

She also allegedly “diverted deposits and withdrawals” to accounts she had taken control of.

Prosecutors say the defendant also used her supervisors’ login details and passwords. This allegedly allowed her to “authorize transactions that would have required authorization from a senior bank official.”

In some instances, prosecution officials say, the woman siphoned money off into her relatives’ bank accounts.

She also allegedly used third-party accounts, including accounts at other banks, to take control of money.

‘Systematic Crimes’

Prosecutors told the court the woman’s crimes “were carried out systematically, exploiting weak internal oversight and her own position as a bank employee.”

At least eight customers lost money as a result of her actions.

Officials are prosecuting the defendant on a range of banking and financial fraud violations, but have yet to file any gambling-related charges.

The prosecution service told the court that the defendant’s actions had not only caused financial losses to customers but also undermined public trust in banking institutions.

Online gambling is strictly prohibited under the terms of Indonesian law. Those found guilty of gambling via the internet face hefty fines, prison time, or corporal punishment.

Police have warned that gambling is particularly problematic in youth populations. Indonesian law enforcement chiefs say that most online gamblers are university or high school students.