The legal route of “buying insurance for a family member first, then harming them” is completely blocked: you get zero money, and the perpetrator faces multiple charges including intentional homicide and insurance fraud.

No cost at all.

Article 34 of the Insurance Law states that any life insurance contract requiring death as a payout condition is void unless the insured gives explicit consent and approves the coverage amount; the insured is the person protected under the policy. This rule does not apply when parents purchase insurance for minor children. Article 39 requires policyholder consent when naming a beneficiary — the policyholder pays the premiums while the beneficiary receives payouts after a claim. Article 43 specifically addresses intentional harm: if a policyholder deliberately causes death, injury, or illness, the insurer is exempt from paying out; any premiums paid for over two years are refunded to other rightful claimants. Likewise, a beneficiary who attempts or succeeds in harming the insured loses all rights to benefits. Article 27, paragraph 2, further stipulates that if either party intentionally triggers a claim, the insurer may void the contract and withhold all premiums, except under Article 43. Under Article 1125 of the Civil Code, anyone who intentionally kills an heir forfeits inheritance rights. Article 198, paragraph 1, item 5, of the Criminal Law classifies “intentionally causing death, injury, or illness to secure insurance payouts” as insurance fraud; penalties range from fines up to 100,000 RMB for smaller sums to life imprisonment for larger ones. Paragraph 2 adds that when this act overlaps with intentional homicide, both crimes are punished concurrently. Article 232 prescribes the death penalty, life imprisonment, or at least ten years in prison for intentional homicide. A real-world example is the Zhang Mosong case in Xuancheng, Anhui: in July 2016, he drove into a pond, killing his wife; just two weeks prior, he had taken out four 1-million RMB life insurance policies on her. Captured on July 25, he was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve and fined 50,000 RMB after being convicted of both intentional homicide and insurance fraud.

全国人大常委会 (2015 修正). 中华人民共和国保险法第二十七、三十四、三十九、四十三条. https://flk.npc.gov.cn/detail?id=2c909fdd678bf17901678bf7c4060811；全国人大 (2020). 中华人民共和国民法典第一千一百二十五条. https://flk.npc.gov.cn/detail?id=ff808081729d1efe01729d50b5c500bf；全国人大常委会. 中华人民共和国刑法（经刑法修正案十一修正的整合文本）第一百九十八条、第二百三十二条. https://flk.npc.gov.cn/detail?id=ff808181796a636a0179822a19640c92；安徽省人民检察院转载《法制日报》(2020-01-13). 杀妻骗保牵出案中案（安徽省人民检察院民事虚假诉讼监督典型案例）. http://www.ah.jcy.gov.cn/jczt/jjslhyqkjc/mtjj/202001/t20200113_2758841.shtml

In this scenario, the policyholder is also the intended beneficiary; the primary aim is to avoid a death sentence or life imprisonment. The case details and verdict are drawn verbatim from official prosecutorial materials; no investigative specifics beyond what is publicly documented are included. Fraudulent claims involving non‑fatal incidents — such as staged accidents or inflated damages — are also illegal and punishable, including accomplices; see Section 9, Article 21 for further information. Purchasing insurance for family members is perfectly lawful; this article targets only those who plan to harm them after securing coverage. Impulsive urges to harm loved ones should be treated as medical emergencies; refer to Section 14 and 15 for related guidance.