Insurance payout to ‘bogus’ beneficiaries angers family

A family of a dead woman from Sebokeng in the Vaal is seeking answers from an insurance company for allegedly paying her investment to “bogus” beneficiaries.

It all started in April 2022 when Masabatha Khoali, 71, died, leaving behind funds in her Old Mutual policies.

According to the documents, the beneficiary of her estate was her sister Ernestina Motale, who claimed she did not get anything.

R1 million insurance payout already paid out after funeral

Motale said after the funeral she visited an Old Mutual branch in Vereeniging, south of Joburg. She found that about R1 million had already been paid out.

“An official from Old Mutual told me to bring all the necessary documents so that they could process my claim. After waiting for several months without hearing from them, I went there to investigate and found that the payment was made to four other people.

“What surprised me was that among the new beneficiaries there were three girls registered as my sister’s daughters, while we know she did not have children. The children shared the same surname with my sister.”

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Motale said she lodged a complaint but the insurer failed to assist her.

In July last year, she opened a fraud case at Meyerton police station, but no arrests were made.

Saturday Citizen inquired about the progress on the case, but Gauteng police spokesperson Lt Col Mavela Masondo did not provide the information, even though he initially promised to do so.

Old Mutal distances itself

Tony Mathe from the forensic department at Marweshe Attorneys has confirmed the fraud case was investigated.

Old Mutual spokesperson Nawhal Foster has distanced his company from the alleged fraud.

“A death claim was received on 25 May, 2022 from the executor of the estate and the beneficiaries were subsequently paid out in full,” said Foster.

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