Police were investigating 18,204 cases of scams last month, accounting for NT$12.6 billion (US$385.43 million) in lost funds, the National Police Agency (NPA) said, citing its 165 Dashboard Web site.
The Web site — which is linked to the NPA’s 165 anti-scamming and fraud prevention hotline — tracks cases the police are working on and an estimate of lost funds.
The caseload last month rose 0.3 percent, or 54 cases, from a month earlier, while the funds lost rose 4.9 percent, or NT$596.33 million, the Web site showed.
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Hsinchu City had the highest density of residents scammed, with 103.84 cases per 100,000 people, it showed.
Hsinchu County reported the most significant increase of funds lost last month at NT$990.98 million, up 164.6 percent from a NT$616.43 million rise in October, it showed.
New Taipei City, Taipei and Taichung lost the most money to scams at NT$2.27 billion, NT$1.89 billion and NT$1.57 billion respectively, it showed.
Taichung had the most cases last month at 2,738, up 5.3 percent, or 138 cases, from October, it showed.
In terms of financial loss per 100,000 people, Hsinchu County, Taipei and Hsinchu City were the top three at NT$167.23 million, NT$75.58 million and NT$62.45 million respectively, the data showed.
Police last month investigated 205 groups — 88 fewer than in October — and arrested 1,698 people over scamming activities, the data showed.
Taipei had the most cases closed, with 44 instances and 371 arrested, the data showed.
New Taipei City confiscated NT$161 million in illegal proceeds, the most of any administrative region last month, the Web site showed.
However, the nationwide total of funds seized was down 86.6 percent, or NT$4.06 billion, at NT$619 million from a month earlier, it showed.
The police prevented NT$1.37 billion from going to scammer groups last month, up 3.2 percent, or NT$40.77 million, from a month earlier, it showed.
Taipei prevented NT$325.32 million from entering scammers’ pockets, the site showed.
The NPA took down 3,775 Web sites linked to scammers, shut down 6,911 adverts and froze 700 telephone numbers linked to scammers, it showed.
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