Man sentenced for insurance fraud after trips abroad

A man sentenced to three years in prison with a three-year reprieve has become the city's first convicted travel insurance fraudster. 

The man, surnamed Huang, repeatedly made bogus claims for stolen goods during his trips abroad. He managed to receive more than 100,000 yuan (US$15,201) of insurance payouts between January 2016 and June 2017, according to prosecutors of Hongkou District.

He found it a good way to get “quick money” when he realized his laptop and 1,000 yuan in cash was stolen while travelling in Thailand in January 2016. When he reported the theft to local police, he falsified his claim, stating that he also lost a camera and a brand-name wallet, totaling around 5,000 yuan.

The insurance company was convinced by the police report and offered him 8,000 yuan for the “four missing goods.” The money was enough to cover his travelling expenses, and he even earned a profit from it, prosecutors said.

Since then, he flew to other southeast Asian countries — popular yet budget travel destinations — from time to time. Each time he would make a false theft claim. These frequent claims alerted insurance companies and led to police intervention. He was caught in June.

As he has returned the ill-gotten money, Huang was given a three-year reprieve. He was also fined 50,000 yuan.