Taichung authorities on Friday detained nine people about a reported online romance scam that allegedly involved the use of fake photographs to swindle women.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) and police raided a residence in Salu District (沙鹿) after receiving a tip-off.
Two desktop computers, 17 mobile phones, an Internet router, three modems and account books were seized during the raid, CIB investigator Wu Kuo-jung (伍國榮) said.
“We are still determining the amount of money this alleged online scam ring collected. From preliminary findings, it looks as if more than 100 female victims were cheated out of love and their money,” Wu said.
The suspects face charges of fraud and breaches of the Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪防制條例), except for one, who is younger than 18 and would be prosecuted as a juvenile, Wu said.
CIB investigators said a suspect surnamed Ho (何), 27, was the leader of the ring, and that most of the other members were also in their 20s.
The group operated by posting photographs of shirtless handsome young men posing to show off their athletic torsos, investigators said.
“The suspects used online dating sites to target Taiwanese and Chinese women living in other countries,” Wu said. “After latching on to these women, the suspects began to sweet-talk them, initiating intimate conversations many times a day to create the illusion that they had a boyfriend who really cared for them.”
After the victims had fallen into the trap, the alleged scammers would start to ask for money, talking about making a good profit on the stock market or in investment schemes, Wu said.
One woman wired more than NT$1.9 million (US$60,529) to the group in a one-month period, Wu said, adding that as soon as the money was received and transferred to accounts held by Ho and the other members, they would cut off all contact with the victims.
The bureau urged people to be extra cautious when dealing with people online.
“It is important to use the Internet and search engines to verify who the people you are dealing with are, to prevent yourself from being cheated by unscrupulous people and questionable investment schemes,” it said.
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