Police in Taichung yesterday credited a bank teller with helping to stop a man from wiring NT$120,000 to a person claiming to be able to diagnose and treat health problems using photographs of a person’s urine.
The 70-year-old victim, surnamed Wang (王), was lured into the scam after seeing an online ad for health treatments to restore health and vitality, the Taichung Police Department’s Qingshui Precinct said.
After adding the company’s “guidance center” on Line, Wang was contacted by a man who identified himself as a “professor,” and allegedly offered to remotely diagnose his health issues using photos of his urine.
Photo: CNA
Once Wang had uploaded the photos, the professor asked for payment, after which he promised to send a medical ointment to be used for treatment, the police department said.
Wang on Tuesday last week went to a local bank branch to wire the money, and when asked about the purpose of the transfer, he said that he was buying medical products, police said.
Suspecting a possible scam, the bank teller checked the transaction history of the recipient account, and found that it had “abnormal cash flows.” The teller then called the police.
Upon arriving at the bank, police officers found Wang on the phone with someone from the “company” and asked to speak with him.
The man identified himself as the owner, surnamed Chen (陳), of a company that acted as a reseller of healthcare products, but when he was asked for the company’s tax number, he hung up, police said.
The police officers told Wang that it was a common scam, while the bank teller showed him that the registered name and address of the recipient account did not match the information the man had given them over the phone.
After much discussion, Wang eventually agreed not to go through with the payment, and the officers helped him block the company’s account on Line.
The police department urged members of the public to only seek medical treatment at accredited hospitals and clinics.
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