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A DISGRACEFUL conman has been sentenced to prison after convincing his friend to freeze his own legs with dry ice, intending to have them amputated as part of a disturbing insurance fraud scheme.
Liao Jianfu, 26, persuaded his friend to intentionally harm himself to secure substantial insurance payouts.
Liao Jianfu, 26, has been sentenced to prison after persuading his friend to freeze his legs with dry ice to claim an insurance payoutCredit: Refer to source
Authorities discovered a video of the scam on the conman’s phoneCredit: https://www.cib.npa.gov.tw/
The sordid scheme took place in Taipei, northern Taiwan, on January 9.
Liao, who studied insurance at university, targeted a former high school classmate.
In 2023, he convinced the individual, referred to as Zhang, to take out multiple insurance policies with enormous payouts.
Liao instructed Zhang to immerse his lower legs in dry ice for approximately 10 hours, resulting in severe frostbite.
Zhang later underwent amputation of both lower legs and submitted insurance claims totaling nearly one million pounds.
Insurance companies flagged these claims as suspicious and notified the police.
Zhang and Liao claimed that the injuries were sustained due to frostbite during a motorcycle trip to Yangmingshan and Tamsui in January 2023.
Investigators found that temperatures that day ranged from 6C to 17C, which was not cold enough to cause such injuries.
They also discovered that Zhang had taken out several insurance policies just days before the alleged trip.
Hospital images revealed that the injuries were clean and symmetrical, with no sock or shoe imprints, indicating they were intentionally inflicted.
The final piece of evidence came when police found a video on Liao’s phone showing Zhang submerging his legs in dry ice.
Zhang received a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, while Liao was sentenced to six years.
Authorities also uncovered Liao’s involvement in another suspected insurance scam from the previous year.
In 2022, Liao allegedly brought alcohol, a lighter, and a gas torch to the residence of a university classmate named Wu.
Wu was reportedly instructed to wear alcohol-soaked clothing and squat over an electric stove before being set ablaze.
He suffered second and third-degree burns covering 54 percent of his body.
Wu’s mother, who worked in the insurance field, later applied for compensation on his behalf.
The student claimed that the incident was part of a traditional fire-walking ritual but could not explain why his clothes were saturated with alcohol.
Most insurance companies refused to pay out due to the dubious nature of the injuries.
Wu subsequently sued one company for refusing to pay more than NTD 6 million (£141,000), and the case is still ongoing.
A British surgeon amputated his own legs for sexual gratificationCredit: Instagram
He was imprisoned for fraud after injuring his own limbsCredit: PA
In the UK, a surgeon froze his own legs to amputate them as part of a twisted sexual fantasy.
Neil Hopper spoke about his so-called struggle with sepsis, claiming he lost his limbs due to the illness.
However, the consultant vascular surgeon was sentenced to 32 months in prison for committing fraud amounting to over £466,000.
Truro Crown Court heard that Hopper used dry ice to freeze his legs to the point of viability loss, necessitating amputation.
This was a long-held ambition of his, driven by a sexual interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What motivated Liao Jianfu to convince his friend to harm himself?
Liao Jianfu aimed to secure large insurance payouts by persuading his friend to intentionally inflict harm on himself.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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