The desire for money can lead to unfortunate situations, including ending up behind bars. However, as one man recently learned, there is always more that can be lost, literally, when trying to cheat the system.
A college student in Tawain, identified as Zhang, was arrested in mid-March 2024 on suspicions of fraud linked to insurance payouts.
| Taiwan News
According to the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau, a friend of Zhang named Liao was dealing with losses from trading cryptocurrency and was seeking to make some money back by any means possible. Liao allegedly convinced Zhang to carry out insurance fraud for a 1.3 million dollar payout, 800 thousand of which would go to Liao.
The pair executed the plot by driving around Taipei late on January 26, 2023, to establish a “plausible” story before Zhang spent the next 10+ hours submerging his feet in dry ice. This was meant to cause his feet to become so badly frostbitten he would require a double amputation.
A photo allegedly taken by Liao. | Taiwan News
When Zhang entered the hospital to be treated, the medical staff were immediately suspicious because his injuries did not align with how frostbite naturally occurs. The night the incident occurred, it only reached lows of 5.5 C or 42 F.
Zhang’s feet were amputated below the calf, and the case was handed over to authorities, who found the plastic bucket used to freeze his feet along with the several different insurance policies he took out in the days before.
Evidence gathered by police.
The two were arrested in January 2024 — and to add insult to injury, Zhang was only able to claim 7,200 USD from one insurer, though this money will be seized.
| Taiwan News
The two were charged with fraud and aiding and abetting serious injury, the latter charge carrying a sentence of more than five years at the minimum.
