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.
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