I’m facing the moral dilemma of false speech today. My situation is simple ish, I booked a flight to move to the other side of the world, it cost me 1000 euros, but I have decided last minute not to go. The help I get from my government to train and change careers to get in the healthcare field will no longer be given to me once I land in that new country. First my advisor said it would but then she double checked and turns out I’d lose all the help, including a small benefits revenue to pay my rent.
Now my dilemma is this one: the only way I can get a full refund on that thousand euros flight is if I cannot fly because my passport was stolen, which it wasn’t.
There is the obvious option, I declare my passport stolen and get the refund. But is this not very clearly false speech for greed? Even if it’s reimbursement.
I don’t make a lot of money and I don’t have any saved, and I am learning to live a simpler life and I’ve never been greedy, but it’s quite a sum.
Should I cut my losses and move on?
You’re contemplating an action that would represent circumstances as different from what they actually are; that is a lie. Clear breach of the precept. Cut your losses.
A good aspect to reflect on afterward is the pressure; the presence of that willingness to misrepresent circumstances and what such action represents. This does not just stop at the matter of virtue, but at one’s willingness to seek clearance from suffering in the very place that suffering manifests.
You might listen to this talk:
I heard about someone going on Facebook contacting everyone with the same name as them, as it seems you can give your ticket to someone with the same name. Maybe you could sell it to a namesake to try to recuperate some of the loss?
Because of Covid most airlines these days allow passengers to cancel flight plans and then have the money they paid issued as a credit towards future travel. Have you checked with the airline about the possibility of a flight credit as opposed to a refund? If the airline permits, you would then have a €1000 flight credit which you could use at some future date, perhaps as a vacation trip to reward yourself for not engaging in false speech 
Thank you for this information. I haven’t checked with them but taking into consideration the above comments and yours, I should definitely just contact them and tell them why I am not going and see with them what can be done together. It is such a lovely alternative.
Nobody has the same name as me on Facebook! I’m the only one carrying that name on earth apparently! But it is quite a great idea!
Thank you. That’s definitely what I believe is the right thing to do.