An online shopper was handed a one-year suspended sentence with probation Thursday, for allegedly embezzling corporate funds to pay her personal purchases through online shopping.

Court records of the Uijengbu District Court in Gyeonggi Province revealed that the 29-year-old bookkeeper took advantage of her access to a corporate bank account. 



The accused had been working at a construction firm since 2009. From April 2010, she started making transactions with the company’s bank account to pay for her online shopping. The first illegal attempt was worth 30,000 won ($27.50). By 2011, she had embezzled more than 60 million won in total for 57 shopping activities.

In addition to the transactions, she illegally withdrew 4 million won in cash from the corporate account and sent another 15 million won of corporate money to her acquaintances.

She was caught by a chief manager of the firm.

The defendant managed to avoid prison time, as the court said “She has already begun the process of making financial restitution for her embezzlement.”

However, she should be subject to two years of probation, the court said.

By Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)