College Students in Taiwan Agree to Amputate Legs to Defraud Insurance Money
Citing a recent report by the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau, it has been revealed that a group of college students, namely Chang and his former classmate Liao, had orchestrated a scam to deceive insurance companies for personal financial gain.
The Deceptive Plot
In this elaborate scheme, Chang purchased disability, injury, health, and travel insurance policies from at least five insurance companies. On January 26, 2023, both Chang and Liao embarked on a tour of several locations in Taipei, including Dương Minh Sơn National Park and the Đạm Thủy district, with the intention of creating the illusion that Chang had suffered from severe hypothermia after driving in the freezing cold night.
To make the injuries appear more convincing, Liao urged Chang to soak his legs in a dry ice cooler for over 10 hours. Additionally, Liao tied Chang to a chair in their residence, leaving him with no choice but to endure the pain caused by the frostbite.
The Consequences
After inflicting self-harm for a prolonged period, Chang’s legs became swollen and infected, requiring him to be admitted to the hospital on January 28, 2023. On February 6, Chang’s legs were eventually amputated below the knee. Subsequently, Chang filed a compensation claim and received 230,000 New Taiwan Dollars (approximately 7,900 US Dollars) from one of the insurance companies.
However, the suspicious timing of the insurance policy purchases and the nature of Chang’s injuries raised concerns among other insurance companies. Consequently, they reported the incident to the local authorities.
Uncovering the Truth
During the investigation conducted by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, irregularities were discovered in the symmetry of Chang’s leg injuries. There were no signs of wearing shoes or socks at the time of the incident. Furthermore, meteorological records indicated that the temperature on January 26, 2023, ranged between 6°C and 17°C, which was not cold enough to cause severe frostbite.
Among the items seized from the two individuals were medical records, insurance contracts, eight mobile phones, a box containing dry ice, and a green plastic bucket that Chang used for soaking his legs.
Further digging into the matter revealed that Liao was facing financial difficulties due to losses in cryptocurrency investments. Liao had deceived Chang into signing a promissory note worth 25 million New Taiwan Dollars and was the mastermind behind the amputation scam.
Legal Consequences
On March 14, 2023, the Criminal Investigation Bureau announced that both individuals would face charges of fraud, while Liao would also face charges of inflicting serious bodily harm. The insurance money acquired through their fraudulent activities has been confiscated.
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