Young Filipina mother, fatally electrocuted by fake USB charger

Sheryl Aldeguer. (Photo from the Facebook page of Sheryl Aldeguer)

A 28-year-old Filipina mother of two was found dead in her rented room in Gosford, New South Wales (NSW), due to apparent electrocution by a faulty USB phone charger.

Sheryl Banaag Aldeguer left behind two young children and a husband at the time of her demise in April of this year.

The case is currently under investigation by the Brisbane Waters police.

Aldeguer was to start work as a theatre nurse at Gosford Hospital, just days from her death. She had been in Melbourne for six months, acquiring Australian standards for her nursing training. She had hopes that her family would be able to soon join her.

Authorities are using the tragic death of the young mother to warn consumers against buying fake USB-style chargers. Aldeguer was wearing headphones and holding her laptop when she was found dead with burns on her ears and chest, in an apparent electrocution.

It was reported by NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe that several USB-style chargers, travel adaptors and power boards that fell short of Australian safety standards had been removed from a mobile phone accessory retail stall in Campsie, in Sydney’s south-west, after Aldeguer’s death.

Stowe pointed out that authorities were previously unaware of the volume of imitation and cheaply made chargers that were available for sale in NSW.

“This is the first time we’ve been aware of them in large numbers,” he said.

“We’re only familiar with this one incident and it does look like one of these devices are implicated in the electrocution,” he added.