Adamant that she is not being tricked, Liu Shu-chen (劉淑貞), a former employee at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), posted a message on Facebook seeking to raise funds to allow CIA Director David Petraeus to come to Taiwan and marry her.
According to an exclusive report in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) on Monday, Liu has so far given about US$30,000 to a person claiming to be Petraeus and has been listed as a securities fraud suspect after she tried to cash in 37 travelers’ checks, each valued at 500 euros (US$686), that the alleged Petraeus sent her.
The two met over Skype, a computer-to-computer calling platform.
Photo: Tsai Chang-sheng, Taipei Times
Liu is convinced the person claiming to be Petraeus is who he says he is and showed reporters a ring with the name “David” inscribed on it, which she said he sent her.
“Petraeus” allegedly told her he would soon come to Taiwan on a military transport and help resolve the forgery allegations.
The media and other concerned parties should not be so quick to call “David” a liar, Liu said.
“How could a scamming group have so much resources at its disposal?” she asked, adding that the man who claimed to be Petraeus was deliberately misleading the media into believing he was a scammer to keep cross-strait issues calm and “protect their love.”
In response to the alleged Petraeus’ displeasure at media footage of their Skype conversation on Monday, Liu said on Tuesday that CNN should also interview her about the incident, because that would force him “to come to Taiwan sooner.”
Liu posted the content of television reports on the matter on her Facebook page on Tuesday, which garnered concerned comments from friends who said she lost more than she gained by quitting her job late last month.
“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the comments,” Liu said.
In addition to online friends, police in Hsinchu sent several officers to visit Liu and sat with her for hours, trying to persuade her that she was the victim of an international scam and that the man’s professed “love” was in fact a way of conning her out of her savings.
However, Liu remains convinced the whole thing is real and would not hear of it, and refused to have her conversation with the officers recorded.
Police reports said Liu has made eight wire transfers to Spain and Nigeria totaling US$50,000 since July 1 and that the Web cam IP address used by the alleged Petraeus could be fake.
In terms of international jurisdiction and criminal investigation responsibilities, the police are working with the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s International Division.
Liu’s former employer said on Tuesday that she had worked at TSMC as director of engineering for research and development.
TSMC confirmed that Liu quit her job at the end of last month.
Reactions on the Internet have been largely unsympathetic, with some netizens leaving messages telling Liu to face the music, or other more sarcastic messages telling her not to waste other people’s money for the sake of her own happiness.
Netizens also pointed out that the man who claimed to be Petraeus had been using the identity of the CIA director to scam for sex and money as long ago as last year, using two IP addresses originating in Ghana.
The message was also seen on English-language site Cyber Crime Ops last year warning of a scammer claiming to be the then-US four-star general, with a New Zealander, using the alias “yellis12,” sharing her experiences and hoping others would not fall for it.
Translated by Jake Chung, staff writer
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS