Hsinchu, Taiwan|Special Correspondent : A 59-year-old woman in Taiwan has been sentenced to two years in prison after she was found guilty of using a deceased man’s fingerprints to forge a loan agreement worth NT$8.5 million (approximately ₹2.35 crore). The extraordinary case unfolded at a funeral home in Hsinchu, northwestern Taiwan, where the woman allegedly attempted to fake financial documents during the man’s wake.
Forgery at a Funeral
According to reports by SETN and South China Morning Post (SCMP), the accused, identified by her surname Li, had a long-standing financial dispute with the deceased man, Peng.
After learning of Peng’s death on February 21, Li reportedly rushed to the funeral home within hours, carrying a forged mortgage document and a promissory note.
Claiming to be a close friend of the deceased, Li requested to pay her final respects. However, her actions soon aroused suspicion among funeral staff. Witnesses said she climbed into the hearse, unzipped the body bag, and pressed the dead man’s finger onto the documents — attempting to create the illusion of genuine signatures.
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Caught Red-Handed
A funeral worker immediately alerted Peng’s family, who contacted the police. Officers arrived at the scene and arrested Li, seizing the fake mortgage deed, a bank cheque, and an inkpad.
Police Probe and Confession
During questioning, Li admitted that she forged the documents out of fear that she would lose the money she had lent to Peng. She produced a fake land mortgage agreement dated May 23, 2010, and a promissory note purportedly signed by Peng, suggesting he owed her NT$8.5 million (around ₹2.35 crore).
Court Ruling
The court found Li guilty of forgery of securities and sentenced her to two years in prison. However, her sentence was suspended for five years because she confessed and the fake cheque had not been processed. The court also imposed a fine of NT$50,000 (about ₹1.4 lakh) and ordered her to complete 90 hours of community service in public welfare organizations or government departments. A funeral home employee expressed disbelief, telling SCMP,
“I’ve worked in the funeral industry for two decades and have never seen anything like this.”
