Yet another data leak was discovered involving medical records of patients in SG. This time round, 14,200 people with HIV who have been tested in SG have been released online, after having been illegally obtained by an American fraudster, Mikhy Farrera-Brochez.
Mikhy Farrera-Brochez had apparently obtained this information from his live in boyfriend, who happened to be the head of MOH's National Public Health Unit from March 2012 to May 2013, Dr Ler Teck Siang, a Singaporean. His position meant Ler had access to the HIV Registry in Singapore. Farrera-Brochez was also tested positive for HIV, but he had swapped his blood sample to that of Ler to test negative for HIV, so that he can obtain a work permit in Singapore. Farrera-Brochez got a job as a polytechnic lecturer here, but was jailed in 2017 for his fraud and several other drug related offences. He has since been deported, meaning he has not faced any charges for the data leak.
The breach had occurred many years ago, since Farrera-Brochez had been jailed and deported back in 2017, but MOH only found out about the leak last Tuesday.
