If you thought these kind of stories were something of the past, think again;
A Greek Owner with finance problem faked a pirate attack on his ship and set fire to claim insurance:
It’s the oldest story ever told, besides I love you no shit, and check’s in the mail. Oh and my dog at the homework. I am not surprised at all.
I started hearing stories of piracy on the Danube where it passes through Serbia and Romania, and for a while it was being reported in most major news outlets. What, piracy? I haven’t seen any. Typically, armed bandits come aboard, beat everyone up, and make off with some deck fittings and a few tons of fuel and cargo. Sure, it’s a rough corner of Europe, but it doesn’t feel like the kind of place where someone will kill you for a searchlight and a pack of gum.
I did a bit of looking into it, and found this entertaining documentary:
So basically, under paid crews are selling off bits of their ships and cargoes, then reporting it as piracy. The office doesn’t question their stories too hard, because the insurance doesn’t cover items stolen by the crew.