Fraud is a growing problem in the nation, and the government would budget NT$7.3 billion (US$228.57 million) next year to tackle the issue, President William Lai (賴清德) said on Tuesday during a forum hosted by the Chinese language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times).
The government’s budget for anti-fraud measures next year would be 4.8 times that of this year, Lai said.
The government would target fraud through policing, interdepartmental and international cooperation, and public involvement, he said.
Photo: Taipei Times
“Our goal is for nobody to be a victim of deception. We are treating this like a war against fraud,” he said.
The government’s first step would be to target gang activity, he said, adding that gangs had contributed to the endangerment of public security, gun violence, drug use and fraud.
To tackle fraud, the government would implement cooperation between ministries, law enforcement, customs officials, maritime authorities, and leaders in the digital, finance, and telecommunications sectors, he said.
Photo: Taipei Times
An “anti-fraud command center” would be established as a platform to coordinate efforts, he said.
“Only through combining our efforts, sharing information, dividing labor and fostering cooperation can we achieve results,” Lai said.
Taiwan must also establish cooperation with other countries in the area of crime-fighting, he said.
“We must improve channels of communication with the public. The government regularly publishes data on the victims and property losses in fraud cases,” he said. “We should also provide channels for the public to give feedback related to anti-fraud measures. We need to be innovative and encourage people to take the initiative.”
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), who also attended the forum, said that while the government could not guarantee the elimination of all fraud, it would toughen laws to discourage such activity.
Separately, Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Peng Jin-lung (彭金隆) said the commission had implemented measures to tackle fraud.
Those measures included controls on debit, credit and virtual financial accounts, information campaigns and the establishment of the Virtual Asset Service Provider Preparatory Office, he said.
The commission had also established an active search and report mechanism for advertisements of illegal investment activity, he said, adding that 49,763 cases had been reported as of July 26.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau regularly communicates with social-media operators on the removal of such advertisements and on measures to strengthen the review of investment-related advertisements, he said.
Additional reporting by Lee Wen-hsin and Wang Meng-lun
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