An Australian woman who owns a gym faked her own death to claim a nearly $500,000 insurance payout as part of an elaborate scheme where she posed as her partner. According to the New York Post, the woman, identified as 42-year-old Karen Salkilld, was arrested in March after filing the insurance claim in her partner’s name, falsely saying she had died in a car accident. The claim included a series of fabricated documents, including a death certificate, a Coroner’s Court of Western Australia delegate letter and an investigation record into a death. 

The Post reported that the insurance company transferred $477,520 into a bank account that the 42-year-old had set up in her partner’s name. In the following days, the fitness instructor made several payments from the account. However, the scheme began to unravel when Ms Salkilld’s bank flagged and subsequently froze the suspicious account. 

Then, in a desperate bid to access the funds, Ms Salkilld visited Palmyra Police Station with several forms of ID that had been certified by an officer. However, as these copies were altered before being submitted to the bank, they didn’t pass the verification process. 

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Approached by Nine News in a car park in Perth, she was asked: “Why did you fake your own death?” Startled, she then replied: “What the hell? Who are you guys? I’m not talking to you guys.”

The reporter went on: “How did you think you could get away with it? You’re charged with serious fraud offences.” Ms Salkilld then responded, “Is this a joke?”.

Ms Salkilld was arrested in March and pleaded guilty to the two offences in her first appearance in front of a magistrate. She faces up to seven years in jail for offences of gains benefit by fraud and intent to defraud knowingly using any record which is false. She is due to be sentenced in Perth District Court next month.