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Taiwan man soaks feet in dry ice for 10 hours to con insurance firms, causing amputation
Zhang secures himself to chair with plastic straps to prevent pulling away if experience becomes unbearable
Reading Time:2 minutesYating Yangin Beijing
Published: 2:00pm, 25 Jun 2025Updated: 9:05am, 26 Jun 2025
A man in Taiwan shocked the internet after attempting to defraud five insurance companies by immersing his feet in a bucket of dry ice for 10 hours, resulting in the amputation of both feet.
The man, surnamed Zhang, was an undergraduate student in Taipei at the time. Between 2005 and January 2023, he purchased multiple insurance policies from five different companies, covering eight types of insurance, including health, life, accident, long-term care, and travel insurance.
In 2023, in an attempt to claim insurance payouts, Zhang conspired with his former secondary school classmate, surnamed Liao.
On January 26, 2023, the two bought dry ice in New Taipei City and returned to Liao’s residence in Taipei’s Zhongshan District.
There, Zhang placed his bare feet into a bucket filled with dry ice, while Liao secured him to a chair with plastic straps to prevent him from pulling away if the process became too unbearable.
Zhang kept his feet in the dry ice from 2am until around noon – a total of 10 hours.
Liao also documented the process with photos and videos alongside Zhang.
Two days later, he sought medical attention at the accident and emergency room of Mackay Memorial Hospital, where he was diagnosed with severe frostbite below both calves, as well as bone necrosis, sepsis, and rhabdomyolysis.
The fourth-degree frostbite led to the amputation of both feet.
The pair then falsely claimed to insurance companies that Zhang had been riding a motorcycle late at night when his legs suddenly felt cold, resulting in severe frostbite.
This outrageous scam has appalled countless social media users and the public in Taiwan.
They submitted claims under eight policies across five insurance companies, seeking a total of NT$41.26 million (US$1.4 million).
While one company paid out NT$236,427, the remaining four detected discrepancies and denied the claims.
All five insurance companies later reported the case to the police, prompting prosecutors to indict the duo on charges of fraud and aiding intentional self-harm resulting in serious injury.
On June 20, the Taiwan High Court sentenced Zhang to two years in prison, suspended for two years, while Liao, identified as the mastermind, received a six-year prison sentence.
The Taiwan High Court sentenced Zhang to two years in prison, suspended for two years, while Liao, deemed the mastermind, received a six-year prison sentence. Photo: Yahoo
The court determined that Liao had orchestrated the scheme, while Zhang had endured immense pain from self-inflicted harm and had reached settlements with several insurance companies.
In contrast, Liao had not reconciled with any of them.
The case has sparked widespread shock across social media.
One online viewer commented: “This is completely driven by greed.”
Another added: “A total loss. No money and no feet. He’ll spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, all because of a ridiculous idea.”
https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/tr...sing-amputation
