Credit departments of farmers’ and fishers’ associations blocked a total of more than NT$180 million (US$6.01 million) from being lost to scams last year, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed.
The Agricultural Finance Agency (AFA) said last week that staff of farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments are required to implement fraud prevention measures when they serve clients at the counter.
They would ask clients about personal financial management activities whenever they suspect there might be a fraud situation, and would immediately report the incident to local authorities, which would send police officers to the site to help, it said.
Photo: CNA
NPA data showed that 255 fraud cases were reported by 117 farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments last year, with the amount of money intercepted totaling NT$182.13 million, the AFA said, adding that up to 40 associations each intercepted NT$1 million or more.
The Bali Farmers’ Association in New Taipei City intercepted the most, reaching NT$24.38 million, followed by New Taipei City’s Banciao Farmers’ Association with NT$18.17 million and Taichung Area Farmers’ Association with NT$14.78 million, the AFA said.
New Taipei City’s Jhonghe Farmers’ Association reported the most cases at 12, while the Bali Farmers’ Association intercepted the highest amount in a single case, blocking NT$15 million, it said.
New Taipei City identified the most cases at 46 and intercepted the most money at NT$61.12 million, the AFA added.
Several cases were investment scams targeting people who joined a Line group for stock trading or multilevel marketing schemes, it said.
People were tricked into believing an investment was profitable and they tried to borrow a substantial amount of money from friends, family or a farmers’ association to make the investment, the AFA said.
The AFA said it collaborated with the Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance to produce a video warning against artificial intelligence-driven deepfake scams.
The video is available on the AFA’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McFRJHT8SDQ.
“Fraud gangs would use photos posted on social media to create deepfakes and pretend that they are friends or relatives of their target,” AFA Director-General Lee Tsung-yung (李聰勇) said, adding that deepfakes could also imitate voices.
Scam techniques continue to evolve alongside digital technology developments, the AFA said, urging the public to heighten their awareness of fraud and call the 110 police or 165 anti-fraud hotlines in case of suspected fraud situations.
Taiwan has received more than US$70 million in royalties as of the end of last year from developing the F-16V jet as countries worldwide purchase or upgrade to this popular model, government and military officials said on Saturday. Taiwan funded the development of the F-16V jet and ended up the sole investor as other countries withdrew from the program. Now the F-16V is increasingly popular and countries must pay Taiwan a percentage in royalties when they purchase new F-16V aircraft or upgrade older F-16 models. The next five years are expected to be the peak for these royalties, with Taiwan potentially earning
STAY IN YOUR LANE: As the US and Israel attack Iran, the ministry has warned China not to overstep by including Taiwanese citizens in its evacuation orders The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday rebuked a statement by China’s embassy in Israel that it would evacuate Taiwanese holders of Chinese travel documents from Israel amid the latter’s escalating conflict with Iran. Tensions have risen across the Middle East in the wake of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran beginning Saturday. China subsequently issued an evacuation notice for its citizens. In a news release, the Chinese embassy in Israel said holders of “Taiwan compatriot permits (台胞證)” issued to Taiwanese nationals by Chinese authorities for travel to China — could register for evacuation to Egypt. In Taipei, the ministry yesterday said Taiwan
‘LIKE-MINDED PARTNER’: Tako van Popta said it would be inappropriate to delay signing the deal with Taiwan because of China, adding he would promote the issue Canadian senators have stressed Taiwan’s importance for international trade and expressed enthusiasm for ensuring the Taiwan-Canada trade cooperation framework agreement is implemented this year. Representative to Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) in an interview with the Central News Agency (CNA) said he was increasingly uneasy about Ottawa’s delays in signing the agreement, especially as Ottawa has warmed toward Beijing. There are “no negotiations left. Not only [is it] initialed, we have three versions of the text ready: English, French and Mandarin,” Tseng said. “That tells you how close we are to the final signature.” Tseng said that he hoped Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT: Japan and the US are expected to hold in-depth discussions on Taiwan-related issues during the meeting next month, Japanese sources said The holding of a Japan-US leaders’ meeting ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China is positive news for Taiwan, former Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association representative Hiroyasu Izumi said yesterday. After the Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in Japan’s House of Representatives election, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to visit the US next month, where she is to meet with Trump ahead of the US president’s planned visit to China from March 31 to April 2 for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Japan and the US are expected to hold in-depth discussions on Taiwan-related issues during the
RSS