Vietnamese woman cut off hand and foot so she could claim £115,000 in twisted insurance scam
Ly Thi N thought she would gain £115,000 by claiming on her health insurance and pretending to be hit by a train
A VIETNAMESE woman persuaded her friend to cut off her hand and foot so she could claim money in a twisted insurance scam.
In May, the 30-year-old woman, Ly Thi N, was found near a railway crossing in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.
A supposed bystander called Doan Van D called an ambulance after allegedly finding the woman by chance.
However, detectives became suspicious of the man's story, especially after looking into Ly's personal affairs.
The said her business was struggling and she was short of cash before the "accident."
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She eventually confessed to police that she had paid Doan Dan D 50million dong (£1,660) to cut off the two limbs and play along with her ruse.
Ly thought she would gain £115,000 by claiming on her health insurance and pretending to be hit by a train.
Pictures published by the official police newspaper showed the woman three months late with her wounds healed.
The case provoked a heated debate on social media in Vietnam.
Facebook user Ly Phan posted: ";A very typical case of insurance fraud. The kind of joke that only happens in Vietnam.
"Lost 50million, one hand, one leg, and now you are at risk to go to jail. No benefit at all."
Other users sympathised with the woman.
Thanh Phuong Quynh Le said: "She may be going bankrupt or urgently need money to do something like that. It is never easy to cheat insurance companies."
Hoa Nguyen also felt sympathy: "How destitute must a person be to do such a thing?"
Le Van Luan, of the Hanoi Bar Association, told the it would be difficult to charge the pair under the penal code.
He said: "We need a new article for this kind of fraud. Her self-harm is horrible and extremely rare."