Please be fake news
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Unfortunately no.
https://www.ettoday.net/news/20240314/2700468.htm#:~:text=張姓、廖姓男大生,理，才遭到識破。Male university students surnamed Zhang and Liao, in an attempt to fraudulently claim insurance money, came up with the outrageous idea of Zhang placing his feet in a bucket filled with dry ice for 10 hours, leading to the amputation of both legs below the knee due to frostbite necrosis. They then applied for a total of NT$41.26 million in claims from 8 insurance policies, claiming the injuries were due to frostbite from night cycling. However, police, after checking data from weather stations, discovered that the temperatures during the alleged time of night cycling ranged between 6 to 17 degrees Celsius, making frostbite impossible. The injuries' neat symmetry and the absence of marks from shoes or socks also defied logic, exposing their scheme.
Investigations revealed that the 24-year-old university students, surnamed Zhang and Liao, planned to fake frostbite for real amputations to defraud insurance companies. They insured themselves with 6 companies on January 26, 2023, taking out a total of 8 life, accident, and travel insurance policies worth NT$41.26 million. They then bought dry ice and placed it in a bucket, with Zhang immersing his feet for 10 hours. Liao tied Zhang to a chair to prevent him from giving up. After seeking medical treatment, Zhang's injuries met the severe criteria for frostbite, resulting in the amputation of both lower legs.
Starting from the end of February, the two claimed to have ridden their bikes to areas like Yangmingshan, Jinshan, and Tamsui during a cold spell, seeking insurance claims for frostbite. However, they only received NT$230,000 from Fubon Insurance, ultimately losing NT$210,000 after spending NT$440,000 on prosthetic legs. This move alerted the insurance company, which then reported the fraud to the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
The police first checked the meteorological data from the Tamsui Station in New Taipei City and the Saddle Area Weather Station on Yangmingshan for the day of the supposed bike ride. The temperatures ranged between 6 to 17 degrees Celsius, which medically could not result in frostbite. However, the injury examination photos from Mackay Memorial Hospital showed severe frostbite with symmetrically neat injuries and no signs of socks or shoe marks, indicating the injuries were artificially induced.
Upon investigation, it was found that Liao and Zhang were high school classmates from Yunlin. After graduating, Liao attended Yunlin University of Science and Technology, and Zhang attended Ming Chuan University. Liao lured Zhang into signing a promissory note for NT$25 million, citing losses from a joint investment in cryptocurrency. To attempt insurance fraud, they first tried causing burns with plaster powder mixed with water, but Zhang only suffered second-degree burns on his palms requiring skin grafting, which was not severe enough for an insurance disability claim. They later devised the "dry ice foot amputation" method, which was ultimately uncovered by the authorities, leading to their prosecution for fraud and aiding in causing serious injury.
