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Master's Office knows of 3 cases of living people declared dead

Published

Justice Department spokesperson Palesa Rammitlwa said the cases are linked to the same financial institution. In each, criminals allegedly had living people recorded as dead and stole their assets.

Garth de Klerk, CEO of the South African Insurance Crime Bureau, said syndicates plan for months before they carry out deceased estate fraud. He said the fraudsters allegedly do nothing visible for six months.

De Klerk said recording a living person as dead "often involves compromised lawyers, possibly corrupt doctors, mortuary officials, insiders at a Master's Office and people paid to falsely identify a body". He also said syndicates target elderly people by becoming their caregivers or by identifying who their caregivers are.

The Master's Office said all institutions that manage deceased estates must do more to fight this fraud.

Key facts

Who
Palesa Rammitlwa (spokesperson for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development); Garth de Klerk (CEO of the South African Insurance Crime Bureau (SAICB)); Stephen Grootes
When
20 October 2026
Where
South Africa
Status
Reported

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