TAIWAN: A Taiwanese university student landed himself in jail, following his bizarre attempt to claim a US$1.3 million insurance pay-out.
He allegedly amputated his own legs to qualify for a big chunk of insurance money.
However, a desperate attempt at a big pay-out turned into a tragic loss for the 23-year-old Taiwanese student identified only by his surname Zhang.
According to a Thursday announcement by the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau, Zhang suffered severe frostbite and required a double amputation after immersing his feet in a bucket of dry ice for over 10 hours.
Additionally, Zhang’s high school acquaintance, Liao, pushed him to carry out the insurance scheme, as reported by the bureau.
Liao, also 23, allegedly lost money trading cryptocurrencies and duped Zhang into signing a legal letter requiring him to pay almost $800,000.
According to Taiwan News, Liao further informed Zhang that thugs were pursuing him.
A bizarre late-night motorcycle ride on January 26th, 2023, became a crucial clue in a suspected insurance scam as Liao and Zhang cruised Taipei’s streets, hoping to create an alibi.
Their goal? To make it appear Zhang’s self-inflicted frostbite was an accident from riding the motorbike.
This charade becomes even more suspicious considering Zhang had recently purchased a significant amount of life insurance, travel insurance, and accident insurance, according to prosecutors.
Despite investigators’ claims that Zhang was hospitalized for frostbite after their motorcycle ride, medical staff reportedly noticed inconsistencies during his evaluation, casting doubt on the entire story.
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