The Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of China (Taiwan) stated that fraud cases are rampant, and they are continuously cracking down on fraudulent crimes. In recent years, fraud crimes have exhibited characteristics of being transnational. In response, the Criminal Investigation Bureau has not only launched a fraud-fighting dashboard but also continuously reviewed the situation of fraud crimes to propose corresponding policies and measures.
In a press release today, the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of the Interior of Taiwan addressed the increasing number and financial losses of reported fraud cases and the rising budget for anti-fraud efforts. Facing the global trend of escalating fraud crimes, Taiwan’s anti-fraud team has been working diligently. The introduction of the fraud-fighting dashboard visualizes complex data into easy-to-understand charts, enabling the public to access real-time information promptly to understand the current security situation and raise awareness of fraud prevention.
According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, in 2023, there were 1,895 cases of fraud syndicate crimes cracked down, a 16% increase compared to 2022. The confiscated illegal proceeds amounted to NT$39.2 billion (approximately $1.3 billion USD), a 77% increase from 2022. Up to now this year, 1,146 fraud syndicate cases have been solved, with confiscated illegal proceeds reaching as high as NT$68.5 billion (approximately $2.26 billion USD). Cooperation with financial institutions from January to July resulted in preventing victims from making fraudulent transactions, blocking an amount exceeding NT$47 billion (approximately $1.55 billion USD).
Initiatives by the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau include taking down over 130,000 fraudulent advertisements, suspending more than 3,000 LINE accounts related to fraud, and blocking 25,000 scam websites. These actions have reduced the public’s exposure to fraud messages. Without the strong enforcement of anti-fraud measures by various government departments, the number of fraud cases and financial losses would be higher, contradicting reports undermining the government’s anti-fraud efforts.
The budget for anti-fraud measures next year is set at NT$7.3 billion (approximately $241 million USD), an increase from previous years. This increase is in response to the passing of the “New Anti-Fraud Law,” requiring funding for related equipment, systems, technology investigations, fraud prevention campaigns, as well as incentives for reporting and blocking fraud. For instance, the proposed “Internet Technology Enhancement Plan” by the ministry requires a budget of NT$4.4 billion (approximately $145 million USD). These measures aim to effectively combat the increasingly sophisticated fraud crimes, and the budget allocation for these needs is deemed both reasonable and necessary.
Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau acknowledged the rapid development of the internet and financial technology, leading to fraud crimes with transnational, rapid, and secretive characteristics. This poses a serious challenge to countries worldwide, prompting the bureau to actively address and confront the severity of the fraud problem. They continue to review the situation of fraud crimes, keeping up with the times by proposing corresponding policies and measures while welcoming input from various sectors to accelerate specific anti-fraud actions.
The Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau expressed hope for support and encouragement from all sectors of society, emphasizing that through public-private collaboration, law enforcement agencies can be equipped with the necessary tools to protect people’s property and collectively combat the fraud crime industry.