Although the tactic of scammers pretending to be law enforcement officers and accusing people of involvement in major criminal cases to seize control of their financial accounts is nothing new, the police have recently discovered that some fraud groups are impersonating officers and using video calls to record statements and gain the trust of victims. This demonstrates that scammers are getting more sophisticated. A 61-year-old woman surnamed Lin in Taichung recently fell victim to a classic version of this fake law enforcement scam. She was tricked into believing that her unpaid telecom bill had escalated into a serious criminal charge. Posing as police officers, the scammers claimed the woman's account would soon be frozen, and they even conducted a fake online interview with a uniformed officer claiming to be from “Extension 8.” Frightened, the woman was about to withdraw all her savings before her account was frozen. However, the real police arrived in time to expose the scam, affirming that no such “Extension 8” exists. Thanks to the collaboration between the police and bank staff, the scam was thwarted.
Deputy Director Chen Hsueh-liang and Officer Chien Ming-wei of Lide Police Station under the Third Precinct of the Taichung City Police Department received a report just after 1 PM from Shin Kong Bank, indicating that a customer might be the victim of a scam. Upon investigation, they found that a 61-year-old woman surnamed Lin had just visited the bank, attempting to withdraw all NT$400,000 from her account. A female bank teller surnamed Wu noticed Lin's nervous behavior and inquired further, learning that Lin had received a notice about unpaid telecom bills. She was then transferred to “Extension 8,” where someone claiming to be a police officer from the operations center conducted a video call and took a statement, telling her that her bank account was involved in a money laundering case and would be frozen by 4 PM. The uniformed officer appeared highly convincing, with even a badge number and a confident, forceful demeanor, scaring her into rushing to the bank to resolve the matter. The bank teller quickly realized Lin had encountered a classic fake law enforcement scam and immediately alerted the police for assistance. Despite the people around her confirming the scam, Lin still had doubts. The real officers calmed her down and firmly informed her that the whole situation was a scam, emphasizing that the police would never use LINE video calls to take statements. They also explained that “Extension 8” was the early nickname for the notification system of the Criminal Investigation and Prevention Control Center of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, which had been discontinued long ago, and that newer officers might not even have heard of it. Only then did Lin gradually regain her composure, feeling deeply regretful for believing the scam. She thanked the police officers and the alert bank teller, Ms. Wu, for helping her protect her hard-earned savings.
The police reminded that phrases like “unpaid health insurance or telecom bills,” “taking a statement over the phone,” “faxing documents,” “the court will hold your money,” or “account supervision” are clear indicators of a scam! Prosecutors, police, and courts will never ask you to transfer money, seize control of your account, or collect official documents at a convenience store. They also won’t notify you of summons or take statements over the phone. If you receive an unknown or suspicious call on your cellphone or landline, it’s essential to remain calm, verify the information, and report it to the police. If unsure, you can verify by calling the 165 anti-fraud hotline.