Vietnamese Website Allegedly Selling Fake Death Certificates for Fraudulent Labor Insurance Claims, Labor Insurance Bureau: Strict Review

(Taipei, June 17, CNA reporter Wu Hsin-yun) Media reports have revealed that a Vietnamese website is selling fake death certificates, allowing foreign workers to fraudulently claim funeral allowances under Taiwan's labor insurance scheme by falsely declaring their parents deceased. The Labor Insurance Bureau stated today that it requires all foreign documents to be strictly verified through Taiwan's overseas representative offices to confirm authenticity. Any cases of fraudulent claims will be referred to judicial authorities under criminal law for forgery and fraud.

According to the reports, foreign workers covered by labor insurance are entitled to apply for funeral allowances when a family member passes away. However, a Vietnamese website is reportedly selling counterfeit death certificates, advertising them as indistinguishable from genuine ones, complete with government seals and full documentation—creating a loophole for foreign workers to falsely declare their parents dead and fraudulently receive benefits.

In response, the Ministry of Labor's Labor Insurance Bureau stated that when foreign insured individuals submit foreign documents to claim family death benefits, the Bureau strictly verifies the authenticity of these documents through Taiwan's overseas offices, in accordance with regulations. It emphasized that it will continue to enforce rigorous scrutiny to prevent fraud.

The Bureau also stated that if fraudulent claims are discovered, the insured individuals will be prosecuted under criminal law for document forgery and fraud.

To ensure lawful and accurate disbursement of insurance benefits, the Bureau said it actively cross-checks for abnormal patterns such as unreasonable age gaps between relatives, repeated claims for the same family member or deceased person, simultaneous applications for both parents' deaths within a short period, or multiple applications originating from the same address. It has also established contact points with Taiwan's overseas offices and the representative institutions of foreign worker-sending countries in Taiwan to assist in verification and strengthen the role of insurance-enrolling employers in the application process.

Furthermore, to prevent illegal intermediaries from exploiting the system, the Ministry of Labor has revised and announced new regulations requiring that insured individuals without household registration in Taiwan must have their applications for family death benefits processed by their enrolling employer. As a result, foreign workers generally cannot apply independently and must be assisted by their employer.

The Bureau added that the Vietnamese government has established a digital verification mechanism to address the issue of fake documents. By scanning a QR code, authorities can verify the accuracy of information online. Currently, Taiwan's representative office in Vietnam is using this digital system to verify documents. Any anomalies are not only rejected per regulations but also reported to the Labor Insurance Bureau for monitoring, preventing fraudulent claims using fake documents.

The Labor Insurance Bureau reiterated its commitment to rigorous scrutiny of fraudulent activities and will continue enhancing overseas document verification mechanisms and inter-agency cooperation to robustly prevent illegal cases, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the insurance fund and the rights of insured individuals. (Edited by Lee Hsi-chang) 1150617