The Taichung City Government formed “Taichung Anti-Fraud Squad” last July to take a proactive approach in thwarting fraud. From January to March of this year, the squad successfully prevented fraud schemes amounting to NTD234,930,000! Investment scams have recently become the top fraud scheme, using deceptive slogans such as “easy investment” and “guaranteed profit”. Mayor of Taichung City Lu Shiow-yen, who is also the leader of Taichung anti-fraud squad, made a vocal contribution by recording three anti-fraud videos: “Investment Scams”, “ATM-Installed Payment Cancellation” and “Watch Out for Love Scams”. These videos serve as a reminder for citizens to be alert to various fraud techniques.

The Taichung City Police Department stated that, in the face of fraud rings, departments and bureaus of the City Government had been working together to uncover the fraudsters behind the screen. Mayor Lu also emphasized the importance of enhancing one’s ability to identify scams due to the numerous variations of fraud techniques today. This is especially crucial in relating to the recent “one-off cash handout of NTD6,000” policy, where citizens should be reminded that government agencies will not send any SMS or email notifications to citizens for collecting their cash handouts. Therefore, citizens are strongly urged not to click on any links provided unknown origin SMS to protect their personal data and account details from being stolen! In addition, citizens can go to an ATM labeled with a cash handout sticker to collect NTD6,000 after April 10. The Department will also organize a guardian police force to prevent fraud rings from taking advantage of this opportunity to deceive citizens and to ensure the safety of citizens’ properties.

The Department explained that, due to economic downturn, many people aimed to achieve financial independence by starting their own business, leading to the emergence of investment scams with the slogans of, for example, “easy investment” and “guaranteed profit”. Some fraud rings even create fake investment groups using the images and videos of financial celebrities to attract victims. Once the victims join the group, they will be surrounded by fake investors who will welcome them and share experiences. After victims obtain a small amount of profit, they will be encouraged to make an enormous investment ranging from the stock market to virtual currency. It is important to note that victims come from all age groups, including the young, middle-aged, and elderly.

The Department pointed out that the Taichung Anti-Fraud Squad had been continuously carrying out interdepartmental cooperation. According to statistical analysis, the squad successfully thwarted fraud attempts amounting over NTD110 million in March alone, with investment scams surpassing ATM-installed payment cancellations and fake online auctions as the most rampant fraud technique. Fraud rings commit frauds by exploiting the weakness in humans. If victims refuse to cooperate, they will threaten them, making them afraid to seek external help and lose the opportunity to be rescued.

The Director of the Fourth Precinct of the Department stated that various types of fraud cases had continued to emerge with new techniques, resulting in significant financial losses for citizens. To combat all types of fraudulent activities, the police actively crack down on and investigate cases while strengthening anti-fraud propaganda to raise public awareness and prevention consciousness. If you have any questions, you are welcome to dial call the 165 anti-fraud consultation hotline or 110 report hotlines for message verifying service or other assistance. For related promotional videos, please visit the Fanpage of the “Taichung City Police Department Fourth Precinct Fanpage” (https://bit.ly/3KfdtAe ).