Criminal groups are increasingly targeting Malaysians, who they try to recruit with false advertisements, to use them in cyberscams and investment fraud schemes in Taiwan, police said.
Pingtung County’s Chaozhou Police Precinct alone has detained three Malaysians, who are facing prosecution over the past few months, police said.
Tainan City Police Department’s First Precinct last week said it captured three alleged money collectors, two Taiwanese and a Chinese Malaysian.
Photo: screen grab from the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s Facebook page
The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said that recent cases indicate a shift for international criminal groups, who in the past targeted Taiwanese by promising them high-paying jobs overseas.
It seems like such groups now also target Malaysians for their scam operations in Taiwan.
“The method is similar. Criminal groups use social media and share enticing adverts promising earning good money with no academic qualification requirements. Some adverts promise all-expense-paid trips abroad,” said a CIB official who spoke on condition of anonymity on Saturday.
Chinese Malaysians make good targets for criminal groups, as they can speak Mandarin, they said.
When arrested and questioned by police, some suspects said they were offered jobs, so they took the opportunity, the official said.
Some suspects said they had received some training before coming to Taiwan.
“They believed it was an easy money opportunity, in which they would only work for a few days, then return to Malaysia,” they said. “So, they agreed to work as money collectors in Taiwan.”
Malaysians can enter Taiwan visa-free for up to 30 days, so some Malaysians were targeted by adverts on social media promising paid flights and accommodation, they added.
From August to this month, more than 30 Malaysians were arrested across Taiwan for allegedly working as money collectors, the official said.
Additional reporting by Chang Jui-chen and Wang Chieh
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