Vietnamese woman paid a friend to cut off her foot and arm so she could claim £115,000 on health insurance

A woman in Vietnam persuaded a friend to cut off her hand and foot so she could pretend to have been hit by a train in an elaborate insurance scam. In May, the 30-year-old woman, identified only as Ly Thi N, was found near a railway level crossing
in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. A man called Doan Van D, had called an ambulance, saying he had found the injured woman, who he claimed was a stranger, by chance. 

But detectives became suspicious of the man's story, especially when they looked into Ly Thi N's personal affairs.

The Thanhiennews website said her business was struggling and she was short of cash before the 'accident'.  

She eventually confessed to police that she had paid Doan Van D 50 million dong (£1,660) to cut off the two limbs and play along with her ruse.

Ly Thi N believed she stood to gain £115,000 by claiming on her health insurance.

The case has led to a heated debate on social media in Vietnam.

Facebook user Ly Phan wrote: 'A very typical case of insurance fraud. The kind of joke that only happens in Vietnam.

'Lost 50 million, 1 hand, 1 leg, and now you are at risk to go to jail. No benefit at all.'  

Hoa Nguyen wrote: 'How destitute must a person be to do such a thing?'

The Tuoi Tre newspaper claims police have dropped a criminal investigation, apparently believing Ly Thi N's disability is punishment enough.

But Le Van Luan, of the Hanoi Bar Association, told the BBC it would be difficult to charge them under Vietnam's existing laws: 'We need a new article for this kind of fraud. Her self-harm is horrible and extremely rare.' Daily Mail reports.