Taiwan Man Loses Legs, Sentenced for Multi-Company Insurance Fraud

A Taiwanese university student named Zhang attempted to defraud five insurance companies by deliberately soaking his feet in dry ice for 10 hours, resulting in severe frostbite that led to the amputation of both legs. Zhang had purchased multiple insurance policies covering health, life, accident, long-term care, and travel insurance from 2005 to early 2023. He conspired with his friend Liao, who tied him to a chair during the prolonged exposure, and they fabricated a story that the frostbite was caused by a motorcycle accident to claim around NT$41.26 million (about $1.4 million) in insurance payouts. While one insurance company paid a small amount, the others detected the fraud and denied the claims, leading to a court case. On June 20, 2024, the Taiwan High Court sentenced Zhang to two years in prison with a suspended sentence, recognizing the immense pain from his self-inflicted injuries, whereas Liao, identified as the mastermind, received a six-year jail term. The case garnered widespread attention on social media due to the extreme and self-destructive lengths taken to commit insurance fraud.