The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) has warned the public of the prevalence of financial fraud on social media, as authorities over the past few have days uncovered several impersonation scams on social media platforms used by Taoyuan government agencies, as well as coast guard and police units in Penghu County.
Two Taoyuan officials, Department of Economic Development director Chang Cheng (張誠) and Office of Building Administration director Chuang Ching-chuan (莊敬權), were reported to have had their Line accounts stolen, the bureau said in a news release.
Over the past few days, friends of the two Taoyuan officials had received Line messages saying: “Are you available now for writing messages? I need your help on something,” and asking to borrow NT$100,000, with the promise that the money would be paid back the next day, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Criminal Investigation Bureau
“Some friends called up the two officials to check, and both realized their Line ID accounts had been hacked, which both men reported to police,” it said.
“When Chang and Chuang learned what was happening, they became aware of the fraud, then sent clarification messages to inform everyone in their Line groups about the criminal impersonation and the theft of their accounts,” it added.
The bureau has opened an investigation into the case, while also issuing a warning for the public to check if they have received any messages asking to borrow or transfer money.
The best way is to verify a request is to call the apparent sender directly by phone or by video call, or to double check with mutual friends and relatives who know the person, or to arrange an in-person meeting, the bureau said.
People should update their Line app to the latest 15.4 version, which has a One Time Password (OTP) function, sending a verification text to confirm the user’s identity, which could be used to secure hacked accounts and prevent other people falling for the impersonation scams, the bureau added.
The OTP or user password should not be entered in most situations, including when asked to participate in online voting, the CIB said, unless setting up a new phone, registering for a new Line account or changing to a mobile phone specifically for using Line.
In a separate case, a social media platform linking the coast guard, police and defense units in Penghu County was subject to a scam when someone posted a link for users to vote in a “choose a favorite pet” contest, the bureau said.
“After voting, many people’s accounts were hacked, and their friends and relatives started to receive messages asking to borrow money,” the bureau said.
“The impersonation included accounts of Penghu County officials, who had to issue a clarification through Facebook to inform people of the hacking of their Line accounts, asking them to ignore the messages seeking money,” it added.
Local media also reported that an impersonation scam using hacked Line accounts had also recently targeted officers at Wang’an Police Precinct on Penghu’s Wangan Island (望安島), adding that authorities have launched an investigation into these incidents.
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