Australian woman arrested for faking death to claim nearly $500,000 in insurance

An Australian gym owner faked her own death to claim an insurance payout of nearly $500,000 as part of an elaborate plot in which she posed as her partner. According to the New York Post, the woman, identified as 42-year-old Karen Salkilld, was arrested in March after making the insurance claim on behalf of her partner, falsely claiming she died in a car accident. The claim included a number of fake documents, including a death certificate, a delegate letter from the Coroner’s Court of Western Australia and a death inquest report.

The post reported that the insurance company transferred $477,520 to a bank account that the 42-year-old had opened in her partner’s name. In the days that followed, the fitness coach made several payments from the account. The plot began to unravel, however, when Ms. Salkilld’s bank noticed the suspicious account and subsequently froze it.

In a desperate attempt to access the funds, Ms Salkilld attended the Palmyra police station with several copies of identification certified by an officer. However, because these copies were altered before being presented to the bank, they failed the verification process.

Also read | Man says Mumbai traffic gave him ‘middle-class trauma’, sparks online debate

Recommended video of the day

Watch: Under engine, dangling from bridge, train drivers do everything they can to repair train