Insurance Fraud Masterclass: Man Sets His Porsche Ablaze Right Under a Security Camera
In Paraná a man tried to turn a burned Porsche 911 into an insurance payday, but a nearby security camera recorded the whole scheme and left him with nothing but ashes and unpaid debts.
Some people burn with passion for their dreams. Some literally set them on fire in the hope of collecting an insurance cheque. One would think common sense would intervene now and then, but a Brazilian would be reminded that even the most obscure street can be watched by a camera.
In the Brazilian state of Paraná a man decided his Porsche 911 deserved a fresh start, preferably in the form of a financial settlement. The plan was simple and foolproof in the way viral social media stunts appear to be: report the car stolen along with himself and claim it was set alight by criminals. For dramatic effect he even inflicted burn injuries and went to hospital because realism matters when millions are at stake.
Everything might have worked if not for a small detail, the advance of technology. Police found a nearby camera that recorded the supposed victim personally pouring fuel over the car and sending it up in flames. The whole episode looked like a cheap action movie clip, except the protagonist forgot to stage an ending where he walked away clean.
It emerged that the man had tax debts and burning the Porsche seemed the neatest way to recoup his investment. Sadly for him the insurance is unlikely to pay when the scheme has been filmed and the central figure is plainly identifiable.
The Porsche is now ash, the insurance payout will not arrive, the debts remain and the state has free video evidence showing that stupidity can burn brighter than gasoline.
