Police Reveals New Insurance Fraud With Murder For Policy Payouts

The police have uncovered an insurance fraud that involves purchasing insurance policies for individuals with no next of kin, making premium payments without their knowledge, and murdering them after a few months.

The syndicate was uncovered during the investigation of the murder of a 38-year-old man on Jalan Senai-Seelong around 4.40am on May 6.

According to a report from New Strait Times, the Johor Police Chief, Commissioner M Kumar stated that the death was first reported as a fatal accident, but further investigations revealed the horrific truth.

In the news report, Kumar stated that the man’s death was first reported as a fatal collision with a lorry. However, further investigations revealed that the man was actually crushed and hit by two cars and a motorcycle. 

When the perpetrators found out that the man survived, they proceeded to beat him and left him on the road. Then an oncoming lorry struck him, finally resulting in his death.

Eight local men aged 23 to 49 have been arrested, with four having prior criminal records.

Police have also confiscated the victim’s insurance policy and three vehicles used in the crime.

How this insurance fraud worked

As mentioned above, for this particular insurance fraud, the syndicate targeted individuals who live alone, with no next of kin. They will then purchase an insurance policy for them using a forged signature, and proceed to make premium payments for a few months.

The syndicate will then appoint a beneficiary to the insurance policy, which is also done without the knowledge of the individual.

When the insurance policy reaches maturity, they proceed to murder the individual while taking great care to frame it as an accident, ensuring that a claim could be made.

Be wary against insurance fraud

Although this might be a very horrific and chilling way of how an insurance fraud can happen, it’s also important to note that insurance fraud can happen in a very mundane way as well.

According to PIAM (Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia), an insurance fraud is any act committed with the intent to obtain a fraudulent outcome from an insurance process.

The main types of insurance fraud involve staging or creating a fraudulent claim, overstating the amount of loss or misrepresenting facts to qualify for a claim.

Some examples of creating fraudulent claims provided by PIAM are as follows:

• Staged accidents – e.g. by ‘oil spillage’ or staged chain-collision – to get the custody of the vehicle(s) for repairs.
• Bogus claim for an accident or injury that has never happened.
• Claiming against a personal accident insurance policy for self-inflicted injuries.
• Staged slip and fall accidents.
• False claim of foreign object in food or drink.
• Faking a death to collect benefits or filing a false death claim.
• Staged burglary, theft or vandalism.
• Arson.
• Staged motor theft.
• Staged homeowner accidents.

The effects of insurance fraud can be far-reaching as well, as it can lead to increased premiums and higher prices for goods and services.

So if you discover something that you believe is an insurance fraud, do your part to report it to the Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia.