A KwaZulu-Natal woman allegedly tried to bribe an official who confronted her about the ghost scam. A 35-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday at the Home Affairs office in Pietermaritzburg for allegedly registering the fake death of a `ghost child`. She was arrested in a joint sting operation between police and the Department of Home Affairs` counter-corruption and security team, during which she was recorded allegedly offering an employee a bribe. News24 understands the woman was allegedly motivated by a R50 000 funeral cover.A woman allegedly planning to cash in on a R50 000 funeral cover was arrested for submitting fraudulent documents to register the death of a `ghost child` at the Home Affairs office in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday.The woman also allegedly tried to bribe an official who confronted her about the scam.Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that a 35-year-old woman was arrested for fraud and bribery and said she would appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate`s Court soon.News24 understands that the woman attempted to register the death of a child whose last name was different from hers. However, when the Home Affairs employee assisting her asked her questions about it, she began shaking.Her `hesitant demeanour` made the official suspicious.A reliable source told News24 that when the woman failed to provide the employee with the details of the deceased child`s mother, she allegedly confessed that she had bought the fraudulent documentation and wanted the death certificate so she could claim a R50 000 funeral cover.The woman then apparently offered the official a R9 900 bribe for his silence.Department of Home Affairs spokesperson Cyril Mncwabe told News24 that the employee alerted his superior and was asked to cooperate in a sting operation.`When registering a death, there are documents that one brings in, and there are requirements,` said Mncwabe  `On investigation and after some questioning, it was discovered that the woman was trying to register a ghost child as deceased. When confronted about this, she offered the office manager a bribe to turn a blind eye and release her from the office. `The office manager then contacted the department`s counter corruption and security team, housed at that very office building. That was how a trap was put in place for her. The plan was for the office manager to receive this money, but this would happen under police [watch] so that the whole operation could be finalised with an arrest.`He said that when police were involved, the office manager recorded his interaction with the woman, who was heard offering him a bribe, and she was arrested.Mncwabe said:Through the department`s counter corruption and security team, we have had a number of successful apprehensions, including those who have come to our offices to register fraudulent deaths, register non-existing children for the purposes of accessing child support grants, as well as people who have come to register for an ID where we have picked up that the ID number on the birth certificates do not belong to them. He said about 10 people had been arrested for attempting to register fraudulent deaths, and about 10 people had been arrested for trying to register the birth of `ghost children`.Mncwabe said the unit`s notable success was the conviction of those involved in a passport photo-swapping ring.`One of our officials involved was sentenced to 10 years and above; some members of the public, including foreign nationals that had assisted in this passport photo swapping scam, were also convicted and sentenced this year.`