Taiwan President Lai Ching-te attended the Comprehensive Fraud Prevention Forum today (20th) and proposed 5 anti-fraud measures, emphasizing that combating fraud should be seen as a battle, and they will not rest until they succeed. He believes in the principle of righteousness prevailing over evil and stated, “We stand on the side of the people, and we will definitely achieve victory.”
During his speech at the “2024 Comprehensive Fraud Prevention Forum,” President Lai expressed, “We often hear many stories of people falling victim to fraud, seeing their life savings vanish overnight, plunging not only their personal lives into hardship but also leading to desperate situations and causing various social problems. Fraud has already impacted people’s lives and societal stability, and the government has an obligation to take immediate and proactive action to combat fraud.”
President Lai pointed out that Premier Cho Jung-tai has identified combating fraud as a top priority in governance, successfully promoting the Anti-Fraud Four Acts and proposing the “Anti-Fraud Manifesto 2.0.” The budget for next year will reach NT$73 billion (approximately 2.4 billion USD), 4.8 times higher than this year’s budget, which will strengthen efforts against fraud. He believes that under Premier Cho’s leadership and the full support of various ministries, positive outcomes will be achieved.
On the 9th, Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau announced a successful crackdown on a fraud syndicate in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Premier Cho Jung-tai personally visited the investigative bureau and declared that “the fight against fraud has only just begun, and there is no end.” With the Anti-Fraud Four Acts passing in the legislature and Executive Yuan, heavier penalties will be imposed on relevant platforms and offenders, utilizing new technological investigation methods, abundant manpower, and sufficient legal basis as enforcement tools to deter fraudulent activities.
President Lai emphasized that combating fraud is of great significance, requiring determination to treat it as a battle with no relenting until success is achieved. The government must prevent fraud comprehensively, prioritizing people’s well-being, aiming for zero victims of fraud as its objective. Understanding the methods of fraud is vital, as modern fraud involves intricate criminal schemes ranging from deception to financial exploitation, utilizing technologies, artificial intelligence, and various devices.
Regarding “transnational fraud,” President Lai mentioned Taiwan’s fraudulent syndicates collaborating with similar groups from mainland China and Cambodia. In such circumstances, relevant government departments must take proactive measures to defeat fraudulent syndicates. President Lai proposed 5 measures to combat fraud: crackdown on criminal activities, inter-agency cooperation, international collaboration, establishing channels for private entities to cooperate, and creating avenues for public participation.
Firstly, combating criminal activities, including organized crime that endangers public order and is interconnected with drugs, arms, and fraud. Resolute efforts are required to combat criminal organizations effectively.
Secondly, collaboration among various agencies such as the judiciary, police, investigative departments, customs, coast guard, digital, finance, and telecommunication sectors is essential. Establishing an Anti-Fraud Command Center as a platform to coordinate different agencies. Unity, information sharing, cooperative division of labor, and coordinated efforts are key to effectiveness.
Thirdly, international cooperation is crucial. Building relationships with other countries enables transferring criminal facts of repatriated fraud suspects to Taiwan’s judicial authorities. Law enforcement should not overlook apprehended fraud syndicates to maintain public trust.
Fourth, establishing channels for private entities such as telecommunications companies, online advertising industry, third-party payment processors, e-commerce, online gaming platforms, financial institutions, and virtual asset services to participate, promoting public-private collaboration.
Fifth, opening channels for public input and participation. The government should daily disclose incidents of fraud, the number of victims, and financial losses, enabling the identification of new fraudulent patterns and appropriate responses, providing the public with accurate information to prevent victimization. Innovative approaches can be developed based on public feedback, shifting from reactive to proactive measures.
Finally, President Lai expressed gratitude to the organizers of the meaningful forum, hoping that all the distinguished guests in attendance will cooperate together. He reiterated his belief in righteousness prevailing over evil and said, “We stand on the side of the people, and we will definitely achieve victory.”
Today’s event was attended by Lin Ming-shin, Deputy Minister of the Executive Yuan, Huang Yen-nan, Minister of Digital Development, Lin Hung-pang, President of the Liberty Times, Zou Jing-wen, Chief Editor, and Guo Shui-yi, Chairman of Chunghwa Telecom.