Taiwan Man Soaks Feet In Dry Ice For 10 Hours In Shocking Insurance Scam, Ends Up Losing Both Feet

A man in Taiwan has undergone double amputation after attempting to defraud five insurance companies by deliberately freezing his feet in dry ice for 10 hours, according to South China Morning Post. The man, identified as Zhang, was a university student in Taipei at the time. Over several years, he purchased multiple insurance policies from five companies, covering health, life, accident, long-term care, and travel insurance.

In January 2023, Zhang conspired with his former classmate, Liao, to fake an accident. The two bought dry ice in New Taipei City and returned to Liao's apartment in Taipei's Zhongshan District. There, Zhang placed his bare feet into a bucket of dry ice while Liao tied him to a chair with plastic straps to prevent him from backing out. He remained like that from 2 am to noon, as per the news portal.

Liao took photos and videos of the act. Two days later, Zhang visited Mackay Memorial Hospital with severe frostbite, bone necrosis, and sepsis. Doctors had to amputate both feet below the calf.

The pair falsely claimed that Zhang had experienced frostbite while riding a motorcycle. They submitted insurance claims totaling NT$41.26 million (Rs 12.08 crore). While one company paid a small amount, others detected inconsistencies and reported the case.

According to SCMP, Authorities later charged both men with fraud and intentional self-harm leading to serious injury. On June 20, the Taiwan High Court sentenced Zhang to two years (suspended), while Liao, deemed the mastermind, received six years in prison. The case shocked social media users, with many expressing disbelief at the extreme lengths taken for fraud money.