The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) yesterday warned of an increase in criminals using sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) to impersonate police and prosecutors.
The bureau reported an average of 530 fraud cases per day last month, with daily losses reaching NT$275 million (US$9.13 million).
Fake police and prosecutor scams remain among the most damaging, CIB figures showed.
Photo: CNA
From January to last month, 3,114 fake police and prosecutor cases were reported, causing NT$6.2 billion in losses — nearly NT$2 million per victim on average, it said.
The scams often start with a call warning that a bank account is “under investigation,” then escalate to video calls using AI-generated police backdrops, uniforms and forged documents. Victims are then pressured into handing over bank cards or transferring funds for “monitoring.”
Officials cited the case of a woman in her 60s who was targeted multiple times.
She first received a call from someone posing as her son in urgent need of money, they said.
Weeks later, a fake bank officer claimed her account was flagged and transferred her to what appeared to be a police station, where AI-generated videos of “officials” convinced her to hand over NT$20 million in savings, they said.
People should treat contact they receive about their IDs, bank accounts or secrecy requirements as warning signs, the CBC said.
People should hang up immediately and seek verification by calling the 165 anti-fraud hotline, it said.
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