Police investigate Costa Concordia scam
2012-01-26 15:37
Budapest - Hungarian police said on Thursday they are investigating a family
who allegedly falsely claimed a relative was missing in Italy's Costa Concordia
shipping disaster in an attempt to win compensation.
"Budapest police (BRFK) have launched an enquiry into attempted
fraud," a statement said, adding that no one has been arrested so far.
"The BRFK is taking witness statements, collecting and analysing
data," it added.
Hungary's foreign ministry said on Monday that a woman reported as missing
in the January 13 shipping accident off the Italian island of Giglio had in
fact died three years earlier.
Hungarian news agency MTI said the scam had been uncovered by a US lawyer of
Hungarian origin called Peter Ronai who went to the police after being
contacted by an individual reporting someone missing in the disaster.
"Their behaviour was very suspicious. All they talked about was
possible compensation, so I alerted the police," MTI quoted Ronai as
saying.
The confirmed death toll has reached 16 and emergency crews are searching
for another 16 still missing.
