The National Communications Commission (NCC) has joined with mobile telecom operators to pilot a voice alert system for incoming calls from hidden numbers as a way to combat fraud.
Chunghwa Telecom has been trialing the system for mobile users since March 2.
It is expected to be fully rolled out by May across Taiwan’s three major mobile carriers — Chunghwa, Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone, NCC Acting Commissioner Chen Chung-shu (陳崇樹) said today at the Legislative Yuan.
Photo: Fang Wei-chieh, Taipei Times
The National Police Agency found that mobile users are at higher risk of fraud, so the NCC is to roll out the system for landlines later in June, he said.
The new system would play an alert warning that the incoming call is from a hidden number in both Chinese and Taiwanese.
Users can press any key to skip the warning.
Data show that fraud cases have trended downward since the trial began, as telecom operators proactively terminated 40,000 calls, Chen said.
The measure has proven particularly effective among high-risk groups such as the elderly and has also helped younger users, who often answer calls quickly without first checking the number, he added.
Lawmakers today also expressed concerns about a recent case in which a man allegedly broke into an older residential building and stole more than 1,000 landline phone numbers, which were provided to Chinese scam groups to register Line accounts, generating profits exceeding NT$1 million (US$31,282).
Chen said that newer residential buildings typically have better controls in place, with telecom equipment locked away.
However, the NCC would convene meetings with telecom operators to review and improve safeguards, while discussing with Line ways to strengthen landline user verification mechanisms, he added.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
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