News / Local
Woman fakes son and hubby's death to claim insurance
11 Jan 2012 at 20:04hrs | Views
A Bulawayo woman, Lister Ncube (40) of Block 6/67054 Sizinda Flats faked the death of her son and husband so that she could get money from a funeral assurance company where she was a policy holder.
Ncube is employed as a general hand at Mpilo Central Hospital would forge burial orders and go to First Mutual Life Assurance Company at the corner of Main Street and 9th Avenue to claim money.
She successfully claimed $600 for "the death" of her son in December last year but was arrested when the company noticed an anomaly in the burial order when she went to claim money for her husband, whom she claimed had died on Wednesday last week.
It is not clear how Ncube would get the burial orders bearing other people's names although she claimed that she had picked them.
She would then erase details on the documents and fill in new information and dates before proceeding to the funeral assurance company.
Ncube was yesterday arraigned before Bulawayo magistrate Mrs Sibonginkosi Mkandla facing two counts of fraud.
She pleaded guilty to both counts and told the court that she committed the offence because she had financial problems.
She also appealed for the court's mercy to be allowed to restitute the company the sum of $600 she defrauded.
She was then remanded in custody to Monday for sentence.
The State's case is that on 23 December, Ncube picked up a burial order Number BDH785/11 and erased names on the documents and put her son, Zibusiso Ncube's name on it.
Ncube then went to First Mutual Funeral Assurance Company where she is a policyholder and misrepresented that Zibusiso had died.
She tendered the forged document and the company processed the necessary papers resulting in her being paid $600 through her FBC account.
On 3 January she once again picked another burial order Number BDH555/11 belonging to one Simon Ncube.
She erased the name and date and added her husband Mr Wilson Ncube's name on it and proceeded to the same funeral company claiming he had died.
An official from the funeral policy company noticed that some of the information on the document had been altered and became suspicious.
The official checked with the Assistant Registrar's Deaths office and discovered that the burial order belonged to Mr Simon Ncube.
A report was made to the police leading to Ncube's arrest.
Mr Shepherd Nhamburo appeared for the State.
Ncube is employed as a general hand at Mpilo Central Hospital would forge burial orders and go to First Mutual Life Assurance Company at the corner of Main Street and 9th Avenue to claim money.
She successfully claimed $600 for "the death" of her son in December last year but was arrested when the company noticed an anomaly in the burial order when she went to claim money for her husband, whom she claimed had died on Wednesday last week.
It is not clear how Ncube would get the burial orders bearing other people's names although she claimed that she had picked them.
She would then erase details on the documents and fill in new information and dates before proceeding to the funeral assurance company.
Ncube was yesterday arraigned before Bulawayo magistrate Mrs Sibonginkosi Mkandla facing two counts of fraud.
She pleaded guilty to both counts and told the court that she committed the offence because she had financial problems.
She also appealed for the court's mercy to be allowed to restitute the company the sum of $600 she defrauded.
She was then remanded in custody to Monday for sentence.
Ncube then went to First Mutual Funeral Assurance Company where she is a policyholder and misrepresented that Zibusiso had died.
She tendered the forged document and the company processed the necessary papers resulting in her being paid $600 through her FBC account.
On 3 January she once again picked another burial order Number BDH555/11 belonging to one Simon Ncube.
She erased the name and date and added her husband Mr Wilson Ncube's name on it and proceeded to the same funeral company claiming he had died.
An official from the funeral policy company noticed that some of the information on the document had been altered and became suspicious.
The official checked with the Assistant Registrar's Deaths office and discovered that the burial order belonged to Mr Simon Ncube.
A report was made to the police leading to Ncube's arrest.
Mr Shepherd Nhamburo appeared for the State.
Source - chronicle
