Woman found dead holding laptop in apparent electrocution caused by faulty USB devices, NSW Fair Trading says

A WOMAN from NSW wearing headphones and holding a laptop has been found dead with burns to her ears and chest in a suspected electrocution.

Woman ‘electrocuted by faulty USB device’

SHERYL Anne Aldeguer had just got her permanent citizenship and was looking to bring her family and two young children to Australia from the Philippines when she was found electrocuted in her rented North Gosford home.

Brisbane Waters LAC Police are preparing a report for the coroner but it appears the 28-year-old was electrocuted by a faulty USB charger, not approved for use in Australia.

The young nurse, who was looking forward to starting work at Gosford Hospital, was discovered on her bed with burns to her chest from a laptop and burns to her ears from her headphones about 4pm on April 23.

Police are investigating the exact time of death, which was sometime between when she was found and when she was last seen the day before.

Facebook pic of Sheryl Anne Aldeguer, 28, who was electrocuted by faulty USB charger.

Man USB-style chargers are not up to NSW safety standards.

Her death has prompted warnings from authorities against buying cheap, unapproved USB chargers or adaptors.

Investigators have since seized a range of devices from a mobile accessory shop in Campsie following the death.

Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said a noncompliant device was found at the scene and other similar products could pose a fatal risk to consumers.

“Our concern is that these USB chargers are implicated in this electrocution,” Mr Stowe said.

“These devices pose a serious risk of electrocution or fire.”

The Campsie trader is now facing prosecution, which could result in up to $87,000 in fines or two years imprisonment for an individual and $875,000 in fines for a corporation.

The fake chargers seized by Fair trading.

A statement from Fair Trading NSW said the devices found by Fair Trading had no insulation on pins, or approval marks.

It said the unapproved devices did not meet the safety requirements of Australian standards and were often made with inferior plastics and other insulation materials.

Commissioner Stowe said he had not seen an electrocution of this kind before in NSW.

“Certainly since I’ve been Commissioner, I’ve never seen previous reports of this sort,” he said.

Authorities are urging any consumers with unapproved and noncompliant USB style chargers, typically used to charge phones and tablets, to bend the pins on the chargers and dispose of them immediately.

Anyone with information about the purchase of any unapproved and noncompliant electrical or gas products should contact Fair Trading on 13 32 20.

Originally published as Woman found dead holding laptop in apparent electrocution caused by faulty USB devices, NSW Fair Trading says