Seventy-two percent of the public feel that the increasing number of fraud cases has become a national security issue, while nearly 90 percent said the government should enable the courts to hand down tougher penalties to scammers, a survey conducted by the Grassroots Influence Foundation showed on Friday.
A slight majority of the public — 53 percent — said they are not satisfied with government efforts to crack down on fraud, with only 27 percent of respondents approving of the government’s handling of fraud, and 20 percent having no opinion, the survey showed.
The survey also showed that 92 percent of Taiwanese have received telephone calls or text messages from suspected fraudsters.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The result showed that 82 percent agree that punishment for fraudsters is too lenient, and 88 percent would like the government to allow for tougher sentences.
The survey was conducted from April 18 to 21, with 1,071 valid responses, and claimed a margin of error of 3 percent.
“The government should undertake thorough analysis to determine which demographics are prone to fraud, then draft prevention measures,” foundation convener for public surveys Yen Yung-shen (顏永森) said. “Instead, the government has a scattershot approach of sending public alerts.”
Yen said he would like to see harsher sentences for fraud.
The government should commission experts to study emerging scam methods and preventive measures, Yen said.
“It must stamp out the leaders of these crime rings and better educate the public on how to avoid becoming victims,” he added.
Anti-fraud efforts should also focus on the occupations and education of victims, and examine the social issues that lead them to being defrauded, criminology professor Cheng Jui-lung (鄭瑞隆) said.
Criminal justice professor Wang Po-chi (王伯頎) urged the government to focus on applying science and technology to combat crime, as fraudsters are continually developing new methods to defraud people.
The government must also adopt “strategic thinking” to develop countermeasures, social science professor Tseng Kung-chiu (曾冠球) said.
In response to criticism of what some say are light penalties for fraud, National Police Agency officials said that government agencies have pushed amendments to enable heavier sentences.
These include amendments to the Criminal Code, the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法), the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法) and the Securities Investment Trust and Consulting Act (證券投資信託及顧問法).
Meanwhile, the Cabinet on Thursday implemented an updated version of an anti-fraud action plan, in which the National Communications Commission (NCC) would collaborate with telecom services with a new application that blocks fraudulent telephone calls from foreign sources, the agency said yesterday.
The application intercepted more than 100,000 such calls on the first day of use on Thursday, the NCC said.
More than 90 percent of fraudulent calls come from foreign sources, using software to display numbers that appear to be domestic banks or government agencies, the NCC said.
NCC officials said the new application can differentiate scam calls from legitimate foreign companies and Taiwanese calling from abroad.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS