TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Police in Tainan stopped a woman from investing NT$5 million (US$151,850) to build a new university in Costa Rica in a suspected scam, reports said Wednesday.

The woman, surnamed Wang (王), 57, visited a bank in Tainan’s East District Tuesday afternoon, per CNA. When she prepared to wire NT$5 million to an overseas account, bank staff called the police because they suspected she was falling victim to a scam.

Wang told the officers a long-time working partner had recommended the investment opportunity. The project needed a total of US$1.3 million, to be paid in 10 installments of US$130,000 each, she said.

Trying to persuade her to abandon her plan, police told her Costa Rica no longer maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan, making it difficult to check the veracity of investment projects. If the university plan was a scam, it would be extremely hard to get the money back, they told Wang. 

Eventually, she accepted the police advice and gave up her intention to wire the money overseas.