**Using Telebanking Without Informing About the Death**

A wife who transferred money from her deceased husband's bank account has been convicted by the court.

According to the legal community on the 17th, Judge Jo Ah-Ram of the Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced Mr. Jang (67), who was indicted on charges of fraud using computers, to a fine of 2 million won and a one-year suspended sentence.

Mr. Jang is accused of inputting his husband's account password twice over two days, starting from January 4, 2022, shortly after his husband passed away, and transferring 15,444,444 won.

**Used for Living Expenses and Salary Payments but Found 'Guilty'**

In court, Mr. Jang claimed, "I had legitimate authority and did not gain any financial benefits, nor was there any intent." The transferred funds were found to be used for employee salaries, management fees, debt repayments, and ritual expenses for the business run by his husband.

However, the court recognized guilt, stating, "If the bank had known about the death of the deceased and the existence of joint heirs, the defendant would not have been allowed to transfer the deposit alone." The court also mentioned, "Even if no actual financial damage occurred to the financial institution, a crime can still be established."

**Emphasis on Procedure Non-compliance… Highlighting the Risk of Double Payment**

The court explained, "For joint heirs to withdraw the deceased's deposits, they must submit documents like a family relation certificate to change the account holder's name to the joint heirs and follow the proper procedures." This is because the bank also bears debts to other heirs, and unauthorized withdrawals can put the financial institution at risk of double payments. At the time, it was found that the bank was unaware of Mr. Jang's husband's death.

However, the court took into consideration that "the entire family was in disarray due to the sudden death of the husband, and the situation of operating the business was urgent," and it sentenced him to probation, considering it as a first offense.

Image source: Material photo to aid understanding of the article / gettyimagesbank