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Zoey Zhang

A man in southwestern China who broke a bone in his girlfriend’s chest during a prank staged a car accident and used her injuries to claim an insurance payout.
The couple was recently arrested, bringing the case to light.
According to mainland media outlet, Hongxing News, a man surnamed Wang from Panzhihua in Sichuan province had been in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, surnamed Lan.
It was not uncommon for the pair to argue.

In June 2024, while playing outside a relative’s home, Wang jumped onto Lan’s back and asked her to carry him.
The sudden pressure of his weight caused a fracture in her chest, but they did not call for an ambulance right away.
After researching the high medical costs of treatment online, the couple decided to stage a traffic accident and claim insurance.
About an hour later, Wang drove Lan to a remote intersection, laid her against the rear of the car and set up the scene to look like he had accidentally hit her.
They concealed their relationship from the authorities.
After Lan was admitted to hospital, Wang convinced the insurer to advance them tens of thousands of yuan for medical treatment, citing financial difficulties.

Upon her discharge, Lan hid the true cause of her injury and filed an insurance claim for more than 200,000 yuan (US$28,000).
However, the insurance company soon noticed several red flags, including the couple’s relationship and alerted the police.
Investigations revealed the accident site was remote and there were no signs of impact on the vehicle.
The police also found out about previous disputes between the couple.
Also, photos from the scene showed Lan leaning on a pillow in an unnatural position, which raised doubts about the cause of her injury.
The police concluded that the couple had staged the accident.
Wang and Lan were recently arrested on suspicion of insurance fraud and face 10 years in prison and a 200,000 yuan fine.
The news shocked many people on mainland social media.

One netizen wrote: “These two have no legal awareness, they are foolish criminals.”
While another said: “People like them are destroying social trust. The police and insurance companies are wasting huge resources on cases like this.”
This case brings to mind similar stories of insurance fraud.
In 2020, a man surnamed Zhang staged a traffic accident that killed his seven-year-old son to claim insurance money. He was sentenced to death and later appealed for reduction, but the final ruling remains undisclosed.
In another case, a man altered the insurance activation date using photo editing software to defraud the insurer. He was sentenced to seven months in prison.


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People & Culture

Argumentative couple stage ‘accident’ in remote location but their ill-conceived criminal scheme unravels when police step in


Argumentative couple stage ‘accident’ in remote location but their ill-conceived criminal scheme unravels when police step in.


Scams and swindles

China prankster breaks girlfriend’s bone by accident, then fakes car crash for insurance money

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Argumentative couple stage ‘accident’ in remote location but their ill-conceived criminal scheme unravels when police step in

Argumentative couple stage ‘accident’ in remote location but their ill-conceived criminal scheme unravels when police step in