Vietnamese woman caught faking death to defraud insurers of $45,000 in payouts

Police in Quang Trung Ward, Thanh Hoa Province, last week received a report from local authorities stating that a woman identifying herself as Nguyen Thi Thu, 41, had applied to revoke her death registration.

Records showed that a person with the same name had been officially declared dead in the ward five years earlier, prompting authorities to initiate verification.

Following initial checks using professional investigative measures, police confirmed that the woman requesting the annulment was the same Nguyen Thi Thu whose death had been registered on June 8, 2020.

Nguyen Thi Thu when arrested. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Son

After identifying multiple irregularities and signs of criminal activity, Quang Trung Ward Police reported the case and transferred it to the Investigation Police Agency of Thanh Hoa provincial police.

Provincial investigators subsequently gathered sufficient evidence, leading Thu to admit that she had staged her death to fraudulently obtain insurance payouts.

According to investigators, Thu divorced her husband in 2017 and returned to live with her mother, Tran Thi Thap, 70. During this period, she worked in southern provinces and purchased four life insurance policies from Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited and Phu Hung Life Insurance JSC.

In 2020, after being diagnosed with cancer and experiencing frequent conflicts with her mother, Thu devised a plan to fake her death in order to collect insurance benefits and assume a new identity. She discussed the plan with her mother and sought her cooperation.

Initially, Thap refused. However, she later agreed after Thu persistently pressured her.

During questioning, Thap told police: "When I first heard about the plan, I firmly refused. But she threatened to bite an electric wire and kill herself if I did not agree. I was afraid of losing my child and still receiving no insurance money."

Investigators said the plan involved Thu taking sleeping pills and staging a fatal fall in the bathroom. To reinforce the deception, the pair enlisted a shaman from Hoat Giang Commune, Thanh Hoa Province, who assisted in arranging a fake burial. The shaman died in 2022.

On the morning of June 7, 2020, Thu took sleeping pills, went into the bathroom, and staged a fall that caused facial abrasions and bleeding. She then returned to bed and pretended to be dead.

Local authorities and relatives were informed that Thu had died suddenly, allowing funeral arrangements to proceed. The body was prepared in secrecy, with only Thu, her mother, and the shaman aware that she was still alive.

Tran Thi Thap is questioned by the police. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Son

Around midnight on June 7, Thu regained consciousness and secretly left to stay at the shaman’s home before later traveling to Dong Nai Province that borders Ho Chi Minh City to work.

A funeral was held the following day, attended by relatives, neighbors, and local residents. Thu was formally buried, and no suspicions were raised.

On June 8, 2020, Thap completed death registration procedures with local authorities, citing "sudden death" as the cause, and was issued an official death certificate.

Thap then contacted insurance companies and completed procedures to claim the benefits. A search of her residence later uncovered notices confirming payouts of more than VND682 million from Prudential and VND600 million from Phu Hung Life Insurance.

Police examine the fake grave of Nguyen Thi Thu. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Son

Investigators said the insurance money was transferred to Thu through her younger sister and used for real estate and investment activities. As she was legally deceased, Thu lacked identity documents and bank accounts and relied on intermediaries to receive funds.

During questioning, Thu admitted that she had initially considered suicide after her illness but decided against it. "If I killed myself, the insurance would not pay out," she told investigators. "I faked my death so I could get the money and then go far away and cut off all contact."

The Investigation Police Agency of Thanh Hoa provincial police has ordered the temporary detention of both Thu and Thap on charges of insurance fraud.

Authorities are continuing to collect evidence involving other related individuals as the investigation expands.