Prosecutor Busted Cross-Taiwan Straits Fraud Ring
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- Last updated：2019-01-05
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Prosecutor Busted Cross-Taiwan
Straits Fraud Ring
It was reported that there was a cross-Taiwan straits fraud ring which swindle Chinese victims to remit money into designated bank accounts, later on the ring’s members used China Unionpay cards to withdraw the illegal proceeds in Taiwan. Prosecutor Chien-Chou Chen (陳建州) therefore organized a joint task force, consisting of Kaohsiung City Police Department Criminal Investigation Corps and Criminal Investigation Bureau into investigation.
The ring’s unspecified members swindled Chinese victims by claiming victims’ bank accounts were involved in crime criminal activities, and asked them to remit savings into the designated “safe” accounts. Right after the victims transferred their money into those accounts, the ring’s members surnamed Tung, Hong and other known members used the China Unionpay cards, which were previously mailed to them, to withdraw the money at ATMs around Taiwan. In the preliminary estimation, Mr. Shao alone, for instance, has been conned with NT 30,000,000.
The ring recruited new members mostly was to ask original members invite friends or to post advertisements for hiring drivers or salesman. After training, these members who help to withdraw the illicit money can get 1% commission thereon and daily received sundry expenses from NT 3000 to NT5000.
On October 23 and 24, 2012, Prosecutor Chen led the police to launch searching at various locations in Taipei, Taichung, and Tainan. Police confiscated NT 5,000,000 cash, 1,400 China Unionpay cards (892 of which forged) and bill counting machines. In the meantime, 21 members, including Tung and Hong were arrested. After questioning the defendants, Prosecutor Chen has applied for court approval, which granted later, to hold both Tung and Hong in custody to prevent them from destroying evidences. Others were bailed for NT 50,000, or issued limitation on their residence. Prosecutor Chen will resort to the cross-straits mutual legal assistance to procure Chinese victims’ profiles, and keep track of other possible unknown victims, accounts, and the money flow.