Greed spurs fraud
Stories of Taiwanese being lured to Cambodia by fraud syndicates promising employment and high salaries, only to be carted off, imprisoned and abused by human trafficking rings on arrival, have captivated the attention of the public.
Similar cases occurred 10 years ago in Nanning, the capital of China’s Guangxi Province, which few Taiwanese have probably even heard of.
A friend of mine personally experienced this. The victims had heard through friends that there were investment opportunities in Nanning, and that they could make a lot of money. The moment they landed, their phones and passports were confiscated, and they were locked up with other poor souls. Gang members would then ask them how much money they had in their bank accounts and force them to remit their savings, and then the criminals would demand that they ask friends to also come to Nanning. The victims would weep and plead to get their passports back so they could return to Taiwan.
I have been a police officer for more than 10 years, and have had to deal with fraud gangs during that time. The root of the problem is always the same: greed. People have desires, they always want more and they quickly become blinded by greed. It is then that the fraud rings strike, exploiting the greed to relieve people of their money.
Preventing fraud rings cannot consist of sending police to airports to hold up warning placards, or of going door to door and telling people to be careful. Nor will a few arrests and confiscation of equipment deter them; fraud syndicates will simply recruit new members and start over.
If Taiwanese are not to fall victim to these schemes, they need to take responsibility for themselves, and if they hear of an opportunity to make big money they should think carefully, for if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Liu Kang-wei
Taipei
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