Peruvian Authorities Investigate Network Using Deceased Identities to Claim Millions in Insurance

Peruvian prosecutors are probing a sophisticated alleged criminal organization that appears to have exploited the identities of deceased individuals to fraudulently claim millions in insurance and pension funds. The scheme, revealed by Latina Noticias and currently under investigation by the San Isidro Corporate Criminal Prosecutor's Office, is suspected of having generated irregular payouts exceeding S/22 million.

The modus operandi reportedly involved reconstructing family and work histories for individuals who had already passed away. These fabricated identities were then registered in pension systems, paving the way for claims related to insurance, pensions, and funeral expenses. The investigation is examining falsified death certificates, altered birth and marriage records, and manipulated employment histories and pension contributions.

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The modality would have generated irregular disbursements for more than S/22 million.

One particularly striking case involves Josué Valdés Gutiérrez, who originally died in December 2008. Twelve years later, a new death certificate was issued, listing his passing in November 2020 in Paucartambo, Cusco, with a stated cause of pneumonia due to COVID-19. This second death certificate, allegedly signed by a forensic doctor under investigation as a potential ringleader, enabled a claim of S/1.3 million from his pension insurance.

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The medical certificate for Valdés's second death listed pneumonia due to COVID-19 as the cause of death and bore the signature of Edgar Eduardo Poma Condori, a forensic doctor investigated as the alleged ringleader of the organization.

Financial activity in Valdés's pension account surged shortly before the second death certificate was issued. Records indicate that seven days prior to the 2020 death date, the company Raquelita made significant pension contributions for April through September 2020, seemingly to establish a qualifying work history. Raquel Rojas Díaz, presenting herself as Valdés's wife, then initiated claims for funeral expenses and pension insurance, providing marriage and birth certificates for two supposed children as proof of kinship.

Authorities are scrutinizing the authenticity of all documentation used to establish the familial link and facilitate the S/1.3 million payout in January 2022. The Valdés case is one of several instances under investigation, suggesting a broader pattern of exploiting the identities of the deceased for financial gain through manipulated records and fraudulent claims.

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The investigation includes other cases with similar characteristics.