Accidents for payouts

How common are workplace injury scams?

- Tay Hong Yi Correspondent and Sharon Salim Business Correspondent

Tens of thousands of workers in Singapore file compensation claims for injuries sustained on the job. While the vast majority are genuine, a small number of fraudulent claims still slip through the cracks.

According to data from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), about 28,500 claims are filed each year under the Work Injury Compensation Act (Wica) — designed to protect both workers and employers by making the claim process cheaper and quicker than court action.

Around 12 Wica claims are flagged for investigation each year. Over the last five years, around two workers were prosecuted for false claims each year.

Several employers, insurers and private investigators told The Straits Times that they have dealt with such fraud.

A construction boss, who asked to be identified as Mr Salman, said one of his workers sought medical help from multiple hospitals for his Wica claim.

But appointment records showed that the injury happened before he was even hired.

Mr Salman added that a few other workers also appeared to be "causing trouble" deliberately — allegedly getting themselves injured so they could get a Special Pass from MOM, which allowed them to remain in Singapore while their claims were pending.

Although they were not allowed to work during this period, some were found taking on illegal freelance gigs that paid more than their regular jobs, he said.

Insurers like MSIG and Etiqa told ST they have seen workplace injury claims involving staged accidents, exaggerated injuries, and misrepresentation of unrelated injuries that occurred outside of work.

MSIG said such cases make up less than 10 per cent of the claims it handles, without disclosing the exact number. Similarly, Etiqa declined to share the number, but said it carries out rigorous checks to guard against abuses, including inspecting accident sites, consulting doctors and appointing independent investigators.