Korean Scam Family Claims 163 Million Yen from Insurance Company Despite Alleged Paralysis
Trouble between a father and son who tried to cheat the insurance company out of their money.
A strange fraud case occurred in South Korea.
On August 23, a 53-year-old father, A, and his family of three were convicted in a local court in Daejeon, central South Korea, for violating the Special Law on Insurance Fraud Prevention. A was sentenced to one year in prison, while his daughter, B (29), received a ten-month sentence. His son, C (28), who followed the instructions of his father and sister, was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year probation. The family is accused of attempting to defraud five insurance companies out of 1.5 billion won (approximately 163 million yen) in insurance payouts.
“The origin of the case dates back to March 2016. C underwent surgery on his right arm at a hospital in Seoul. However, the post-surgery recovery was not satisfactory, leaving him with residual symptoms such as numbness and complex pain in his right arm. Due to these aftereffects, C received 300 million won (approximately 33 million yen) in insurance payouts.
During this process, A and C seemingly thought that if C were to be diagnosed with ‘complete paralysis,’ they could receive a higher insurance payout. In October 2021, C claimed full-body pain and requested a disability diagnosis certificate, asserting that ‘living a normal life is impossible.’ The hospital, perhaps due to the stigma of the failed surgery, issued the diagnosis certificate after yielding to A and C’s demands, despite suspecting ‘complete paralysis.'”
After seeing the photo, their attitude shifted dramatically.
The family used the diagnosis certificate to claim approximately 1.5 billion won from the five insurance companies they were insured with.
Two of the companies paid a total of 180 million won (approximately 20 million yen). However, the remaining three companies, which were asked to pay 1.29 billion won (approximately 140 million yen), became suspicious of the family’s actions and consulted the police. When the police began their investigation, a shocking fact was uncovered.
“When the police examined the family’s activities, they discovered C, who was supposedly paralyzed, energetically running up the stairs at home. There were also sightings of him going outside carrying waste for garbage separation. Initially, the family completely denied the allegations during voluntary police questioning, but when shown photos of C appearing healthy, their attitude changed drastically. They apologized and admitted to the crime.” (said the reporter)
The fraud family ended up with a regrettable conclusion. During the trial, they admitted to the charges, appearing exhausted. Due to their deceitful actions, the father and daughter will now spend their days reflecting in prison.
