by Audrey L Ncube
In a shocking case of insurance fraud, a Harare man named Sylvester Rusere has been fined for defrauding EcoSure by fabricating a fictitious daughter and faking her death to collect funeral benefits.
Rusere, 36, from Hopely, created a nonexistent daughter named Mufaro Rusere and registered her as a dependent under his EcoSure Funeral cover policy. Between March and April 2024, he falsely claimed that Mufaro had died in Mukutukutu Village, Chief Nyashanhu, Buhera.
To substantiate his fraudulent claims, Rusere went to great lengths, including fabricating a death certificate for Mufaro and completing all necessary forms that were purportedly to be signed by the village head. He even convinced witnesses to support his story and obtained copies of their national identity cards.
He submitted the counterfeit death certificate and the fraudulent documents at an Econet shop in Masvingo, filling out claim forms and attaching the fake death certificate, as well as the forged signatures of the witnesses.
However, EcoSure was not deceived. The company launched an investigation that revealed Rusere had no daughter named Mufaro, leading to his arrest. He pled guilty to the charges and was fined US$400 by a Masvingo magistrate.
In addition to the fine, Rusere received a three-month suspended sentence, with a warning that failure to pay the fine could result in six months in jail.
This incident is not isolated; in 2022, another man, Esau Chara, attempted to defraud EcoSure by claiming his daughter had died. Chara was convicted but avoided jail time, receiving a suspended sentence and community service.
These cases highlight the ongoing challenges faced by insurance providers in combating fraud.