The Criminal Investigation Bureau on Sunday released a list of the nation’s top 10 ATM scam hotspots for the first half of the year, saying that such cases peak at about midnight and midday.
ATM-related scams have become increasingly prevalent in recent years as fraudsters continue to diversify their tactics, the bureau said.
Victims are often misled into believing they are transferring funds to cancel an installment plan or settle an online purchase, after which a “money mule” is dispatched to withdraw the cash from an ATM.
Photo: Wang Mei-hsiu, Taipei Times
According to bureau data, money mules typically operate at about midnight or 1pm, and are often identifiable by wearing a mask throughout the transaction, frequently switching ATM cards and spending an unusually long time — five to 10 minutes — at the machine, the bureau said.
Scam-prone ATMs are usually located in areas with high foot traffic, such as near highway interchanges, MRT stations or in open spaces on university campuses, allowing mules to “withdraw and run” without drawing attention, the bureau said.
The top 10 scam hotspots are Neipu Xuefu Post Office in Pingtung County; Puzi Post Office in Chiayi County; Sanchong Zhengyi Post Office and the Taiwan Cooperative Bank’s Sanchong branch in New Taipei City; First Commercial Bank’s Ximen branch and 7-Eleven’s Xining South branch in Taipei; Hukou Post Office in Hsinchu County; Douliou Jhenbei Post Office in Yunlin County; Taipei Nanyang Post Office; and Cathay Life Insurance Co’s Sanxia Haishan service office in New Taipei City, the bureau said.
The hotspots range across northern and southern Taiwan, indicating that scam syndicates operate with careful planning, it said.
Some financial institutions have begun introducing measures such as warning messages, withdrawal limits and facial recognition technology at ATMs, it added.
For example, CTBC Bank and Mega International Commercial Bank have developed their own facial recognition technology to help prevent scams, demonstrating their sense of corporate social responsibility, the bureau said.
However, overall fraud prevention capabilities at ATMs nationwide remain insufficient, with only a small number able to effectively identify the behavior of money mules, it said, urging financial institutions to invest in the development of such technologies.
Banks are on the front line of protecting people’s property, and every abnormal withdrawal that is promptly detected and reported can prevent a potential tragedy for a family, the bureau said.
People working as money mules are considered accomplices or accessories under the Criminal Code and the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act (詐欺犯罪危害防制條例), it said.
They would not only face criminal charges and a permanent criminal record, but also be denied their share of illicit gains, the bureau said, adding that the greed is not worth it.
To aid the effort in clamping down on scammers, the bureau has set up a section on its Web site displaying photos of reported money mules at ATMs at https://www.cib.npa.gov.tw/ch/app/frauddriver/list?module=frauddriver&id=1890.
People who recognize or have witnessed these alleged ATM scammers should call the 165 anti-fraud hotline to assist the police in tracking down the mastermind, the bureau said.
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