Taiwanese authorities recently dismantled a fraud ring accused of running investment scams from Taiwan targeting Chinese women in the US and Canada, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said today.
In a statement, the bureau said that nine people suspected of fraud, aggravated fraud, money laundering and organized crime have been arrested, and seven of them are being detained.
Photo courtesy of the Criminal Investigation Bureau
Members of the fraud ring chatted with their victims on the Internet and used Deepfake technology during video calls to gain the victims' trust, and eventually persuaded them to invest in fake energy schemes, the bureau said.
To date, seven victims have been identified, with their losses totaling NT$3.5 million (US$116,772), it said, adding that law enforcement authorities in the US and Canada have been contacted for assistance in the ongoing investigation.
Taiwanese authorities first raided the scam ring's computer room and arrested six people in Taichung's Shalu District (沙鹿) in November last year, the statement said.
During the raid, the suspects disposed of some of their mobile phones in a bucket of sulfuric acid prepared in advance to destroy evidence, the bureau said.
In March, two more suspects — the Web developer for the fake investment Web site and the engineer responsible for Web site design — were tracked down and arrested, the statement said.
The main sponsor of the fraud syndicate was arrested at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) as he was trying to flee abroad in the beginning of last month, the bureau said.
A total of NT$73,000 in cash has been seized, as well as evidence including laptops, mobile phones and voice changers, it said.
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