Are you tempted by phrases like “guaranteed profits” or “never lose”? Recently, Cingong Police Station of the Third Precinct, Taichung City Police Department handled two cases involving investment scams. At about 10 a.m. a few days ago, Sergeant Yeh Chien-Pin and Officer Tseng Sheng-Chuan responded to a tip-off from Union Bank within the jurisdiction regarding a suspected scam. A bank employee surnamed Lai reported that a 63-year-old woman surnamed Hsieh was attempting to cancel several insurance policies and set up a foreign currency account. When questioned about her intentions, she revealed that she was raising funds to invest in foreign real estate.
The bank employee was surprised by this longtime customer’s sudden shift in investment behavior, especially given that she intended to invest over NT$8 million. The employee, remaining vigilant, helped her examine the relevant documents and found that the investment documentation were incomplete and that the English contract was poorly drafted and unprofessional. When asked if she understood the investment details, the woman admitted she couldn’t read English and was unaware of the contract’s content. Suspecting she was being scammed, the employee called in the police. Though overseas real estate scams are less common, one of the responding officers knew a friend who had been deceived in the same way. With high hopes for returns, his friend ultimately lost everything when the scammers claimed the investment failed. After the officers and bank employee provided evidence and gave persistent warnings, the woman grew increasingly skeptical about the investment and, in the end, chose not to wire the funds, expressing her gratitude for their warnings. In a similar case, E.SUN Bank recently reported a suspected scam to the police regarding a customer planning to invest in stocks by transferring funds to a personal account. Officers Tu Jui-lin and Lin Tzu-yao responded and found that the 64-year-old man surnamed Chang had been following a stock investment group for years and had recently joined their LINE group. Following guidance from the so-called “teaching assistant,” he had been placing orders through an investment app and was preparing to transfer NT$3 million to boost his returns. With his permission, the officers checked his phone and found the case bore all the typical signs of a scam: “online ad,” “joined a group,” “downloaded app via LINE,” and “transferred to a personal account.” Assuring Mr. Chang that “this is 100% a scam,” they persuaded him not to transfer the money. The police advise that investments should be conducted through legitimate channels to achieve reasonable returns. Opportunities that offer high returns usually carry significant risks. Investors should steer clear of any claims of high profits, guaranteed returns, unclear profit sources, or suspiciously high profit rates. It's crucial not to place trust in unknown investment avenues presented by people online, particularly if they assure guaranteed profits that seem excessive—these are clear indicators of a scam. Exercising caution and verifying facts are essential for fraud prevention. For any inquiries, please call the anti-fraud consultation hotline at 165 for real-time verification.