A Taiwanese woman, Miss Lu, who had been missing in Queensland, Australia, for several days, was the subject of a missing person notice issued by the local police. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane confirmed that the woman had been located. According to reports, she was deceived into going abroad and was about to leave Australia, but fortunately, she had not boarded the plane yet and was rescued from the airport.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China released a statement saying that they received a report of Miss Lu’s disappearance from her family on May 1st. They immediately established close communication with her school and the local Queensland police to start the search operation. On the evening of May 2nd, the student was found, safely returned to her friends’ home in Australia. The family expressed sincere gratitude for the assistance provided by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.
It is understood that the student may have fallen victim to an online scam, currently under investigation by the local police. Out of respect for the police investigation procedure and the individual’s privacy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs refrains from giving opinions on the case.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminds Taiwanese nationals that scams are prevalent overseas. If receiving suspicious phone calls abroad, such as claiming to be from international law enforcement organizations or foreign police, and requesting cooperation with related instructions, please immediately report and verify to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office or local police, and do not easily believe in threats or unclear instructions from strangers.
According to Central News Agency, the missing woman is named Yu-Ming Lu. She entered Australia with a tourist visa on April 6th and is currently studying at Browns English Language School in Brisbane. Her last sighting was at around 10:20 p.m. on April 29th at the student dormitory on Wharf Street, and she has not been in contact with her family or anyone since the morning of April 30th. Queensland Police in Australia issued a missing person search on the evening of May 2nd.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane confirmed the safe discovery of the woman and sent officials to the airport for a rescue operation. Part of the case is still under investigation by the Australian police. It is known that the woman was deceived to go abroad and had intended to depart from Australia to a Southeast Asian country. Fortunately, she had not boarded the plane and was rescued from the airport. Director Fan Houlu of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane stated that there have been numerous fraud cases targeting young people lately and urged people to be more vigilant to avoid falling into scam traps.
The four Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices in Australia also advise Taiwanese citizens living in Australia to follow the scam prevention strategy of “Listen, Hang up, Verify” with the motto of “Prevent Deception in 1-2-3 Steps” to protect their rights. If hearing or reading about “money transfer” or “providing personal information,” it is considered suspicious, so be cautious, find reasons to excuse yourself from the conversation, close messages, remain calm, and do not immediately follow instructions without verification. Contact the various anti-scam or reporting hotlines within Australia or seek assistance from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office abroad.