A Thai woman was found to have broken her own finger to simulate an accident and make a fraudulent insurance claim. This led to a discovery of an insurance fraud ring and the eventual arrest of the ringleader and 16 members.
A 39-year-old woman from Songkhla Province used a pestle to smash her own finger in order to file an insurance claim and receive THB60,000 (around SG$2,400), The Thaiger reported. An investigation revealed that the injury was fraudulent, and that the woman previously filed an insurance claim saying she fell off a motorbike but instead rubbed sandpaper on her skin to make it appear like road rash.
On Dec. 24, the Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the woman, but she initially evaded the police before being arrested. Other arrest warrants issued by the court resulted in the capture of 16 other people involved with the group, as well as the leader. The fraudulent claims have led to at least THB14 million in damages.
The woman with a broken finger admitted to the police that she was recruited into the group, which used her identity to buy insurance. She would then make a claim using an intentional injury, with the payout shared with the group.
Aside from faking car accidents, other participants of the scam would allegedly pour hot water on themselves to create burns before making fraudulent claims.
