Perth Woman Jailed for Faking Death in $718,000 Insurance Fraud

Karen Salkilld sentenced to three years for orchestrating elaborate scheme to claim life insurance payout.

Karen Salkilld, a 43-year-old mother from Perth, was sentenced to three years in prison for faking her own death to claim a $718,000 insurance payout.
The fraud involved creating false documents, including a death certificate and funeral documentation, which were submitted to Insuranceline.
Salkilld used her ex-partner's identity to open a bank account and an email account to facilitate the fraud, leading to her arrest in March 2024.
Judge Vicki Stewart described the crime as calculated and sophisticated, noting that Salkilld's lifestyle and debts drove her to commit the fraud.
The court ordered Salkilld to repay $101,771 to the insurance company and return $617,191 held in a frozen bank account.