46 under probe for travel insurance fraud

Dozens of people were caught for cheating insurance companies out of money by lying that they lost valuables while traveling abroad.

Busan’s Yeongdo Police Station said Wednesday that it had booked 46 people, including college students and employees of state-funded companies, without detention over suspected insurance fraud. 

The suspects allegedly lied that they lost belongings during overseas trips from January 2016 to May this year, and received between 200,000 won ($179) and 10 million won from insurance firms.

The 46 suspects collected a total of 51 million won in insurance money by making false reports of theft or loss to local police stations, receiving written confirmations and submitting them to the insurance companies.

They lied that they lost designer brand shoes, belts and mobile phones while traveling abroad.

Claimants of travel insurance are only required to submit a written confirmation from the local police station for lost items, a written diagnosis and receipts from local hospitals for medical costs.

It is also difficult for insurance investigators to verify fraud as the accidents took place overseas.

Most of the suspects were students and office workers without prior criminal records, police said.

Police said they looked into such cases as a claimant who made frequent insurance claims, an entire group of travelers who claimed for insurance and a claimant who said he lost his luggage but did not lose his passport.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)