Desperate to claim money from her health insurance company, a 30-year-old Vietnamese woman paid her friend to severe her foot and a section of her arm. Unfortunately, her attempt to claim $150,000 from the company proved futile as police discovered what really transpired, reports BBC.
The woman identified as “Ly Thi N” claimed that she lost her limbs after being hit by a train in Hanoi. However, after the police conducted a three-month investigation of the “incident”, it was discovered that the woman only paid her friend identified as “Doan Van D” $2,200 to do the unthinkable and cut off her limbs.
Apparently, Doan Van D was also the one to call an ambulance and convinced hospital staff that Ly Thi N was injured on a railway. Doctors were unable to re-attach the woman’s limbs.
Speaking to Vietnamese newspaper Tuoi Tre, Bac Tu Liem police chief, Nguyen Thanh Tung said:
“N hired D to cut her hand and foot, then continued to have him report false information to the police.”
“The greatest shame is that N, instead of claiming the money, has suffered a huge loss by losing both her hand and foot,” Tung added.
Based on local reports, Ly Thi N resorted to commit an insurance fraud after incurring loses to her struggling business. Police have decided not to pursue a criminal investigation against the pair since it would be difficult to press charges against them under Vietnam’s penal code. Le Van Luan of the Hanoi Bar Association told BBC that they need a new article for this kind of fraud.
What is insurance fraud?
Insurance fraud refers to an act committed with the intent to get a fraudulent outcome from an insurance process. This usually happens when the claimant tries get some benefit or advantage to which he or she is not entitled. It can also occur when the insurer knowingly denies some benefit that is due.