The Most Awesome Insurance Scam You've Ever Heard Of

NY Post - Taiwanese man was hit with insurance fraud charges for allegedly trying to claim over $1 million in payouts for a double amputation due to self-inflicted dry ice injuries.

The 24-year-old suspect — identified only by his last name, Chang — lost both of his legs below the knees due to fourth-degree frostbite, bone necrosis and sepsis, Newsweek reported, citing the Taipei District Prosecutors Office.

After the amputations, Chang supposedly applied for compensation from eight different insurance policies with five companies that totaled up to $1.3 million, the Taiwan News said.

This Taiwanese legend is top-to-bottom one of the greatest idiots I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. At the same time, he's a personal hero of mine. I'm considering having a life-sized painting of this man commissioned to hang on the wall above my future bed frame. I refuse to let this heroic & brave act of stupidity go un-memorialized. 

I've written or talked about this subject no less than 1000 times in my life. I've spent many a night lying awake thinking of ways I may be able to acquire myself "a bag" as the kids say. Not by earning one myself via any deserved means. I fantasize about New York City scaffolding collapsing down upon my head. I'd prefer not break any bones. But I could go for a severe concussion. Something that when I sue the city I can frame as, "Well there's no telling what terrible long-term inconveniences this traumatic brain injury may cause me", so I can jack up the price astronomically. When in reality, it might just make me a dumber yet happier person in the long run. Sure there's a risk that I get the "Chris Benoit kill my whole family" brand of CTE. But if I happen to come away with the "Antonio Brown go crazy on the internet" brand of CTE, along with a few million dollars courtesy of Eric Adams... that's a win-win. 

But I digress. I'm always on the lookout for hilarious accidents, or clever ways people manage to scam the government. I don't have it in me to pull off any sort of scam myself. For one, I'm a terrible liar. For two I'm not an enormous piece of shit like this Taiwanese amputee here. But in another life maybe I would be. In another life, maybe I would have balls large enough to go through with the highest risk scam of the millennium - amputating my own legs for insurance money.

But Chang over here (not being racist that's literally his name) had what it took to jump off the scamming deep end. 

At the time, Chang claimed that he was initially injured while riding his scooter at night, the outlet explained.

One insurance company paid out $7,000, but the other four alerted police when they noticed Chang purchased the policies suspiciously close to when he received his grisly wounds.

According to the indictment, Chang was actually injured when a friend strapped him into a chair and left him to sit with his legs immersed in a plastic bucket filled with dry ice for several hours, Newsweek reported.

The grift of all grifts. To have such a profound desire not to work, to not have to lift a finger to earn any money of your own... to the point you're willing to lose both legs knees down, for what quite frankly isn't NEARLY enough to money to give up your legs for at age 24. Unless of course he had near-world class speed and wanted to get fitted for some of those Oscar Pistorius legs that would increase his 100 meter time to Olympic levels.. we all know those legs made him faster. But I assume that's not the case. Either way, a tip of my cap to Chang. Chang pushed all his chips into the middle of the table, then flopped Jack high against a flush. Then his opponent took his legs too.

Quite possibly the worst thought out plan in the history of plans. If you're going to pull off the classic "freeze your own legs off with dry ice then blame it on a scooter crash" caper, you simply have to purchase your insurance policy years in advance. That's insurance scamming 101. You don't take out a life insurance policy on your bitch wife a week before you take her out. You take out the policy as soon as you're married, then wait 10 years until you're sick and tired of her shit. Then you poison her soup.

However, to be fair to Chang. His back may have been up against the wall a bit. At first I wanted to believe he was simply willing to trade legs for a million dollars. But according to his equally regarded partner in crime, there may have been more to it than that.

The accomplice, Liao, had supposedly agreed to help Chang pull off the quick cash grab after warning him that a gang was supposedly after him, the Taiwan News added.

Liao — who knew Chang from their college — took photos of Chang’s hours-long ordeal, police said.

The authorities double-checked Chang’s scooter claims with the day of the incident, and found that the temperatures were between 43 to 62.5 degrees Fahrenheit — not cold enough for serious frostbite.

Photos from the hospital also showed that Chang had symmetrical injuries, which are rare in frostbite cases.

The condition of Chang’s wounds also suggested he had been barefoot at the time, which further led investigators to conclude that they were “man-made.”

A search warrant executed in November 2023 turned up the plastic bucket supposedly used for the dry ice, Newsweek said.

A few things to unpack here. For starters, if you have a scary gang after you, there's a possibility this was his best option. I can only assume the gang was after him for a large sum of money. Perhaps this particular Taiwanese gang had already threatened to cut of his legs had he not paid up. Or maybe they were just gonna kill him. If that was the case, then I can see his thinking there. 

"Well, I'm going to lose my legs either way. I might as well try to cash in on them."

Then maybe if his scam worked, he'd be able to pay off, say, The United Bamboo Gang (not racist that's a real Taiwanese gang I looked it up), then still be left with a substantial amount of money… IF that was was his situation, then ok Chang, it was worth a shot.

Secondly. What in the name of the Sea Goddess Mazu (real god) was Liao doing documenting the evidence. Was he trying to send evidence to the gang that they had a full proof plan to get their money back? Did he simply want to keep it for memories sake? Was he planning to post a viral TikTok once the statute of limitations were up? Chang was going to get caught regardless, but to actively create more evidence is beyond ridiculous.

And finally (sorry this is way to long), on what planet did he think symmetrical frost bite leg amputations would be the slightest bit consistent with scooter crash leg amputations? Or was his plan to say that he fell off his scooter and landed knees deep into a snow bank where he was stuck for a full 24 hours until his legs broke off like icicles? 

Then the fucking investigators had the nerve to say "his wounds suggested he was barefoot at the time, that's how we really knew"…. Was that really the smoking gun the prosecution needed? There's a million smoking guns. There are literal pictures of Chang freezing his own legs off. Again… the worst plan in the history of plans.

I still love this guy. But the fact that he was dealing with a gang makes him less of a hero to be. When I first read the headline, I thought he was shoe-in first ballot for the Mail Time Hall of Famer. I wanted to imagine that one day he was getting ready for work and thought to himself, "I don't wanna do this shit anymore, Liao go get the bucket of dry ice." But still… good try, good effort, Chang.

P.S. I'm also confused by the pictures in the article where he appears to be walking off in handcuffs. I guess he was already fittest for prosthetics.