Tainan police on Monday warned of a rise in loan fraud, as fraudsters are adapting to target people staying at home.
As a warning to residents, Tainan Fourth Precinct detailed a case it received on Sunday.
The victim needed to borrow NT$100,000, but to stay safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic decided to find a loan online instead of visiting a bank in person, police said.
The company found promised fast approval online, in addition to low interest rates and handling fees. Although it did not require an in-person meeting, the company did require “attorney attestation” and “administrative documentation” fees to be paid up front, police said.
The victim transferred NT$27,100, but after waiting a few days still had not received a payment from the suddenly unresponsive company, police added.
The precinct said it was one of many complaints it had received about fraudulent online companies promising contactless loans.
In each case, the alleged company asked for an initial payment, then either blocked the client or did not respond to follow-up messages, police said.
Fourth Precinct Police Chief Kan Yen-min (甘炎民) said that it is good to stay at home out of an abundance of caution, but this caution must also extend to the Internet.
Clear warning signs are a company asking for a money transfer or bank details, Kan said.
Kan recommended following the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s three steps — stay calm, find evidence and seek help from a friend or the 165 fraud hotline.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said that two people had been defrauded of a total of NT$38,000 by people claiming to have their COVID-19 rapid test results.
The fraudulent callers requested payment for medicines after telling the recipient that their test came back positive, it said.
A real-time communication mechanism has been set up between the 165 hotline and the National Health Insurance Administration to handle these cases as soon as they arise, it said.
Rapid test results always arrive the same day, while polymerase chain reaction tests are completed within three days, the administration said, adding that results are only released by a medical service provider or the Centers for Disease Control.
Results are issued as soon as they become available and can be checked on the NHI smartphone app, it added.
Additional reporting by Yao Yueh-hung
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