Taiwanese man attempts leg amputation scam for million-dollar payout
The mans fraudulent scheme backfired when investigators discovered he had immersed his feet in dry ice for over 10 hours to simulate severe frostbite necessitating a double amputation
A Taiwanese university student attempted to claim over NT$41 million (S$1.7 million) in insurance payouts by alleging he lost his feet to frostbite.
His fraudulent scheme backfired when investigators discovered he had immersed his feet in dry ice for over 10 hours to simulate severe frostbite necessitating a double amputation, reports The Straits Times.
According to Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau, the student, identified as Chang, colluded with his former high school classmate, surnamed Liao, to execute the deception.
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Initially, Chang reserached policies covering disabilities, injuries, health, and travel safety from at least five insurers.
On 26 January 2023, both men traveled across various locations in northern Taipei, including Yangmingshan and Tamsui, with the intention of fabricating the narrative that Chang had sustained frostbite while riding a motorcycle on a cold winter night.
To enhance the credibility of his injuries, Liao encouraged Chang to immerse his feet in a bucket of dry ice for more than 10 hours. Allegedly, Liao restrained Chang to a chair at his residence to ensure Chang endured the pain of the ice burn.
Following the exposure to dry ice, Chang's legs became swollen. He was admitted to the hospital on 28 January 2023, and underwent below-the-knee amputation on 6 February.
Subsequently, Chang submitted insurance claims and succeeded in obtaining NT$230,000 from one insurer.
Later, the dates of his policy purchases and the timeline of his injury raised suspicions among other insurers, prompting them to report the case to local authorities.
Upon investigation by the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, it was discovered that Chang's frostbite injuries exhibited abnormal symmetry and lacked impressions from his shoes or socks. Meteorological data also indicated that the temperatures on 26 January 2023, ranged between 6°C and 17°C, insufficient to cause frostbite.
Evidence retrieved from the men's possessions included medical records, insurance policy documents, eight mobile phones, a styrofoam box for dry ice, and a green plastic bucket used by Chang to soak his feet.
Further inquiries revealed that Liao, facing financial difficulties from cryptocurrency losses, coerced Chang into signing a NT$25 million promissory note – a significant portion of the potential insurance payout – and devised the scheme for the amputation.
On 14 March, the Criminal Investigation Bureau announced that both men would face charges of fraud, with Liao additionally charged with causing serious injuries. Their ill-gotten gains were confiscated.
