A woman from China who made over R7m from purchasing flight delay insurance for over 5 years was arrested. According to Shanghaiist.com, the 45-year-old woman, only known by her surname Li, was arrested by Nanjing police for fraud after allegedly scamming the insurance system for years.
Li started to book flights that she had no intention to fly from 2015 to 2019. She hoped the flights would be delayed or cancelled so she could claim her insurance provider. According to publication, Li monitored the flights that were likely to be delayed or cancelled. Some of the factors she took into consideration included weather conditions and online reviews before she booked a ticket.
She is believed to have booked over 900 flights since 2015, banking a hefty R7,3m (around 3 million yuan) through her insurance policy.Li would sometimes use her name or names of her friends and family to book the trip. Li's luck ran out when she was eventually caught and arrested for fraud.
Li's antics have made travel insurance companies in the country weary with many enforcing stricter rules. According to The Paper, among the companies who are implementing stricter policies is Qunar. Qunar rules stipulate that if the person knew or inferred that there is a delay when booking a flight or applying for insurance, and the insurer is not liable for compensation. Qunar also added that if a person does not use the flight ticket, ie they do not board the plane, the passenger won't be compensated.