If a Web site only has one long page, using a mix of simplified and traditional Chinese characters, and has no customer service contact information, people should be wary as it may be a scam, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said today.
The top two keywords used in fraudulent Web sites and advertisements were “immediately” (立即) and “join” (加入), the ministry's Administration for Digital Industries said on Facebook.
The agency scanned Web sites and posts using artificial intelligence to identify key characteristics of scams.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Digital Affairs
It also announced that it has set up a new section on its Web site to warn the public about the latest advertising scams, high-risk Web pages and fraud keywords.
From Feb. 8 to Saturday last week, the ministry’s Online Fraud Reporting Inquiry app (網詐通報查詢網) investigated and took down 1,831 scam advertisements, it said.
The majority were related to financial investments, where common sales tactics include free lists of stock picks, high-return investment strategies and fake celebrity endorsements, the agency said.
Other types of scams that try to defraud people on information and money include fake mentors, false benefits and free giveaways, it said.
Indicators of scam sites include strange or unprofessional grammar, lack of contact information and may look unfinished or only have one page, it said.
Scam sites use words such as “immediately” and “join” to persuade victims or make the opportunity seem more urgent, it added.
Other potential indicators include “hotspot” (熱點) or “shareholders’ meeting” (股東會), which scammers use to make their schemes better fit the ongoing news cycle, it said.
Keywords that have seen an uptick recently include “new year” (開年), “dark horse” (黑馬) and “point and click” (點擊), which could be an attempt to take advantage of public interest in financial advice following the Lunar New Year, it said.
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