He had his legs amputated to defraud an insurance company: He only managed to get $7,200

12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

Local prosecutors said a university student in Taiwan has been arrested on suspicion of fraud after having his legs amputated in the hope of receiving a $1.3 million insurance payout.

The 23-year-old student had his legs amputated at a hospital after soaking them in ice water to freeze them in order to collect insurance money.

The student, who told doctors he had suffered frostbite, was investigated after his injuries were found to be suspicious, and it was revealed that he was attempting to defraud the insurance company.

According to a report by Taiwan News, the university student, identified as Zhang, was persuaded by his friend Liao to defraud the insurance company. Liao had suffered losses due to cryptocurrency trading and tricked Zhang into signing a legal note that, according to investigators, obligated him to pay approximately $800,000.

According to Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau, 23-year-old Zhang kept his feet in a bucket filled with dry ice for more than 10 hours, making a 'double amputation' necessary. The bureau stated that a high school friend of Zhang's (Liao) had persuaded him to commit insurance fraud.

THEY NOTIFIED THE POLICE AFTER THE AMPUTATION

Investigators determined that on January 26, 2023, Liao and Zhang rode a motorcycle around Taipei throughout the night, and that Zhang attempted to collect insurance money by claiming he suffered frostbite while riding the vehicle late in the evening.

Prosecutors announced that Zhang had purchased numerous expensive life insurance, travel insurance, and accident insurance policies just days earlier.

According to investigators, after riding the motorcycle all night, Zhang soaked his feet in dry ice and was taken to the hospital.

Doctors, who amputated both of Zhang's legs up to the knee at the hospital, became suspicious of the situation and notified the authorities.

Doctors noticed that there were no shoe or sock marks on Zhang's legs and that his wounds appeared symmetrical, which was inconsistent with naturally occurring frostbite injuries.

Prosecutors also added to the case file that the temperature on the night of January 26 was not even close to freezing, with the lowest temperature being approximately 42 degrees Fahrenheit (5-6 degrees Celsius).

In a statement, the bureau said, "As Taiwan is a subtropical region, cases of severe frostbite requiring amputation due to natural climate conditions are unheard of."

Due to the frostbite, Zhang's legs were amputated below the calf, but doctors reported the situation to the authorities.

The investigation bureau announced that when police searched Zhang and Liao in November, they found the plastic bucket used to freeze Zhang's feet, insurance documents, a white box used to store dry ice, eight mobile phones, and a tablet computer.

The bureau said that Liao and Zhang were arrested on January 17 and both were charged with fraud and aiding and abetting serious injury.

According to local media reports citing prosecutors, Zhang was able to receive $7,200 from one insurance company, but that money will also be seized.