Man in dark as wife forged signature to get $200,000

A mother of three kept her husband in the dark for three years as she forged his signature to borrow more than $200,000.

The Masterton woman, 45, first started forging signatures to secure loans, which were used for day-to-day running of the household, in 2006.

The drive to get loans began with a $10,000 application to Diners Club NZ, Masterton District Court was told this week. The credit card the woman used to take the loan against was her husband's.

She forged his signature and put the money in their joint bank account. Her husband did not use or monitor the account.

Between February 2007 and March 2009, she secured further loans from GE Money, Diners Club NZ, American Express and Medical Assurance Society. On every occasion she forged her husband's signature, signed as a witness using a false name and provided copies of her husband's driver's licence and payslips.

The money was deposited into their joint account, or her young son's account, or an account she held in her own name. Her husband did not find out till she was spoken to by police this year.

It is not known whether the couple are still together.

The woman, who has interim name suppression, admitted what she had done, but gave no explanation. She was remanded on bail till September 2 for sentencing on eight charges of obtaining by deception. Total reparation of $122,463, which has not been recovered, is being sought.

- © Fairfax NZ News