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A Shanghai woman, identified as Xie, has sparked online controversy after she faked miscarriages and forged medical documents to fraudulently claim 66,200 yuan (US$9,300) in maternity insurance. The case has drawn widespread attention due to the significant impact it has on China's social insurance system.
Maternity insurance in China is funded by employers and covers medical expenses related to pregnancy and childbirth, providing financial support to women during maternity leave. Xie, a 42-year-old employee of a foreign company in Shanghai, earned a monthly salary exceeding 30,000 yuan (US$4,200) and had a background in telecommunications and computer science.
Last December, while on maternity leave, Xie recalled a successful insurance claim she made after a miscarriage two years earlier. This memory inspired her to start falsifying medical documents to claim additional insurance funds. Using computer software, she created fake maternity certificates and discharge summaries, claiming she had miscarried in a hospital. She submitted two false claims online, receiving a total of 66,200 yuan in benefits. After each successful claim, she destroyed the related documents and computer records.
Earlier this year, Xie attempted to make another fraudulent claim for over 40,000 yuan (US$5,600), but it was rejected. In February, she filed a legitimate claim after the birth of her only child. However, during a routine document review, officials noticed inconsistencies across her five maternity insurance claims over four years and reported her to the authorities.
Realizing the seriousness of her actions, Xie turned herself in and returned the stolen funds. She expressed deep regret, explaining that as an older pregnant woman with health concerns, she was desperate to cover medical costs. On August 16, the court found Xie guilty of fraud and handed her a one-and-a-half-year suspended sentence due to her voluntary confession.
The case sparked widespread debate on social media, with one commenter noting, "For about 60,000 yuan, she has ruined her life and her children’s future." Another remarked, "Despite earning a decent salary, greed still drove her to commit fraud."
Source: SCMP
