The Taipei Department of Land Administration on Thursday released an anti-scam video, using material from a recently cracked case of real-estate fraud to urge the public to be on the lookout for similar scams.
The department said it hoped its video, based on real-life events, would allow other sectors to witness how government officials and police work hard to protect people’s property.
The department said it became aware of a possible scam involving real estate belonging to recently deceased elderly people in 2023 and formally opened a case with the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office regarding the matter.
Photo: Wang Kuan-jen, Taipei Times
The prosecutors’ office indicted 44 people last year for defrauding the kin of a deceased family’s real estate.
According to the Taipei Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division, real estate’s high value makes it an obvious target for scam groups.
While most scams involve defrauding the victim of their savings, some cases show victims mortgaging their real estate to obtain more funds, often leaving them with nothing but debt, the division said.
With an increased percentage of elderly people in society, inheritance scams are becoming an increasingly common tactic for fraud groups, the division said.
Members of the public should consider registering for inheritance as soon as possible once loved ones pass, the division said.
The division said it would establish a hotline with the department on anti-scam collaboration, adding that department employees should confirm with members of the family when a questionable application for real estate mortgage rights has been submitted.
Once notified, the Taipei Police Department would dispatch officers to the office to further inquire about the application, the division said.
Division captain Lu Chun-hung (盧俊宏) said that fake investments and scammers impersonating prosecutors or police contributed the greatest number of financial losses in December last year.
Citing the National Police Agency’s 165 Dashboard, Lu said there were a total of 2,064 established scam cases in December last year, totaling losses of NT$2.13 billion (US$64.69 million), among which were 33 counts of real estate mortgage fraud, with losses standing at NT$326.5 million.
The police are devoted to looking into scamming cases and would step up efforts to be in contact with victims, Lu said.
The police are currently looking to set up a text service that would continue to update victims on case progress, and information on mental counseling and social aid, he said.
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