TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Criminal Investigation Bureau arrested members of a fraud ring based in Taichung that reportedly defrauded victims in Japan.
The CIB received tips that members of the fraud ring were impersonating Chinese security officials online to extort payment from Taiwanese and Chinese living or traveling in Japan. According to a press release, the CIB made four arrests in mid-December, seizing mobile phones and other equipment as evidence from three locations.
The leader was a 32-year-old man surnamed Tseng (曾), who set up the computer operations center. He worked with three accomplices, surnamed Ji (紀), Chang (張), and Hong (洪), to target victims in Japan who have family or friends in China.
Among the evidence seized by the CIB was a police uniform like those worn by officers of China’s Ministry of Public Security. Tseng and others allegedly impersonated Chinese customs officials when communicating with fraud victims in Japan.
Victims targeted by the fraud ring had shipped mail from Japan to China. Claiming to be Chinese customs officers, the criminal group contacted victims and told them contraband was discovered in their mail, and that fines or extra fees were required to avoid prosecution or possible deportation from Japan, reported LTN.
Some victims reportedly contacted authorities in Taiwan after discovering that the money they surrendered had been deposited in Taiwanese accounts, rather than in China. Tseng and the other three suspects are in detention. Their case was forwarded to the Taichung District Prosecutors Office.