STOCKHOLM -- Insurance companies have been hit by a number of false claims since the Estonia ferry sinking, including one by a man who said his live daughter was dead, reports said Thursday.


The disclosures, nearly two months after the sinking, included reports that Estonian "mafia" had made so many attempts to pack names onto the passenger list after the tragedy that officials had to rewrite it five times.


The official number of passengers fluctuated wildly after the Sept. 28 sinking, from around 800 to the latest estimate of 1,049. Authorities believe 913 died, but have admitted they may never know the exact number.


So far only one insurance company, the huge Swedish company Folksam, has said it paid part of a claim that turned out to be false. In a report to the Stockholm police, according to the Swedish news agency TT, a man insured by Folksam told the company that his daughter was among the victims.


The man made such a convincing impression on Folksam personnel that they granted him an advance of 5,000 kronor ($685) to travel to Finland to take part in the identification of the bodies, TT said.