faked death

American  

[feykt deth] / ˈfeɪkt ˈdɛθ /

noun

1. the act of convincing others that one’s own pretended death is real, often to escape such circumstances as debt or abuse and to thereafter live undetected.

   Fraudulent insurance claims involving the “survivors” of faked deaths are not as uncommon as you may think.

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Etymology

Origin of faked death

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

MTV’s faked death is an example of that.

From Salon

Police in Bremerton are asking anyone with information about Basham during the years since his faked death in 2009 to contact Det.

From Los Angeles Times

The film, like the original, uses many clichés of the genre: a clandestine invitation, a group of people stuck in a remote location, an eccentric “genius,” priceless treasures, a suspicious character from the past, a secret twin, a faked death.

From New York Times

So Pte O'Callaghan faked death and, exhausted by days of fighting and probably in shock, fell asleep for several hours.

From BBC

Julie Wheeler had already been sentenced to 54 months in prison for the health-care fraud and the faked death scheme.

From Seattle Times