Student's legs amputated in alleged $1.3 million insurance fraud ploy
The 23-year-old man initially received an insurance payout of $7,200 before it was seized.
A university student who had his legs amputated after claiming he suffered frostbite during a motorbike ride faces charges of insurance fraud.
The 23-year-old man, identified only as Zhang, allegedly submerged his feet into a bucket of dry ice for more than 10 hours to inflict severe frostbite which resulted in a double amputation. It is believed he carried this out in the hope he could make an insurance claim worth $1.3 million, according to the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau (TCIB).
It is alleged another man, a friend of Zhang's identified as Liao, persuaded him to carry out the insurance scam, with the pair claiming it was during a motorbike ride together in January last year that Zhang suffered the frostbite.
Medical staff suspect injuries were manufactured
After attending a local hospital medical staff determined the man's injuries were manufactured as he had no sock or shoe marks on his feet, and injuries on both limbs were symmetrical — a detail not usually observed when a patient suffers frostbite.
During the evening of the alleged motorbike ride temperatures also only dropped to lows of five degrees, well above temperatures which would inflict such injuries to a rider, furthering suspicions of the student's claim.
"Taiwan is a subtropical region, and cases of severe frostbite requiring amputation due to natural climate factors in the flatlands are unheard of," the release from TCIB stated.
Instead authorities believe the pair went to Liao's home where Zhang allegedly soaked his feet in dry ice. It is said Zhang was restrained to a chair by cable ties and endured the pain for hours before going to the emergency room of a local hospital, the Taiwan News reports.
Zhang's legs were amputated below the calf and he did initially receive $7,200 in an insurance payout but will likely have the money seized.
Authorities reportedly found a styrofoam box and plastic bucket which they allege Zhang used to carry out the feet soaking, with the man applying for life, travel and accident insurance mere days before the incident occurred.
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