Mt. Everest Climbers Thought They Were Being Rescued. They Were Actually Being Scammed for $20 Million.

Thousands of adventure seekers trek to Nepal’s Himalayas each year, where legitimate helicopter rescues save lives when danger strikes. But investigators just exposed a rescue scam that bilked insurers for millions.

Guides poisoned trekkers’ food with baking powder, uncooked chicken and even rat droppings to trigger altitude sickness symptoms, then terrified them into unnecessary evacuations, according to The Independent.

Between 2022 and 2025, Nepal’s Central Investigation Bureau uncovered over 300 alleged fake rescues affecting 4,782 climbers. In one documented case, four tourists were rescued on a single helicopter but insurers received separate bills totaling $31,100. Hospitals fabricated admission records.

The payoff? Hospitals paid 20-25% of insurance payouts to trekking companies and another 20-25% to helicopter operators. Police have now charged 32 people.