Taipei: Taiwanese authorities recently dismantled a fraud ring accused of running investment scams from Taiwan targeting Chinese women in the United States and Canada, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said Wednesday. In a statement, the CIB said nine individuals suspected of fraud, aggravated fraud, money laundering, and organized crime have been arrested, and seven of them are being detained.
According to Focus Taiwan, members of the fraud ring chatted with their victims on the internet and used Deepfake technology during video calls to gain the victims' trust, eventually persuading them to invest in fake energy schemes. To date, seven victims have been identified, with their losses totaling NT$3.5 million (US$116,600). Law enforcement authorities in the U.S. and Canada have been contacted for assistance in the ongoing investigation.
Taiwanese authorities first raided the scam ring's computer room and arrested six people in Taichung's Shalu District in November 2024. During the raid, the suspects disposed of some of their mobile phones in a bucket of sulfuric acid prepared in advance to destroy evidence.
In March 2025, two more suspects, the web developer for the fake investment website and the engineer responsible for website design, were tracked down and arrested. The main sponsor of the fraud syndicate was arrested at Taipei Songshan Airport as he was trying to flee abroad at the beginning of May.
A total of NT$73,000 in cash has been seized, as well as evidence including laptops, mobile phones, and voice changers.