New Delhi: A 37-year-old woman in Singapore, Su Qin was fined S$5,000 (around Rs 3.2 lakh) after forging a medical certificate to take leave from work. Feeling unwell and concerned about her mother’s health, Su Qin wanted a break but feared her company would form a negative impression of her, according to a report by Channel News Asia.
Su Qin decided to forge a medical certificate to deal with the situation. Using Photoshop, she altered an old certificate to make it appear as if she had recently been ill. Qin, a Chinese national working in Singapore hoped the fake document would get her hospitalisation leave approved. She was absent from her job at ETC Singapore SEC from March 23 to April 3 this year.
Su Qin went a step further by modifying the QR code on the forged document, hoping it wouldn’t be easily detected. She received S$3,541.15 while she was on leave. After returning, she resigned from her position on April 4.
However, during routine checks, the HR department spotted the forgery as the QR code was blurred and led to a broken link. When asked to provide the original certificate, Qin produced another fake document with a different QR code on April 8. This raised further suspicions, and after questioning her, the company terminated her within 24 hours, as reported by Channel News Asia.
After being dismissed, the HR head reported Su Qin to the police. It was also uncovered that she had previously forged her mother’s death certificate to extend her stay in China while caring for her critically ill mother. Qin faced one count of forgery, with two additional charges considered during sentencing. She was fined S$5,000 by the court. Her attorney argued for her release, stating that her actions were driven by desperation as she is the sole breadwinner for her elderly parents.
