Taichung Man Avoids Online Fraud After Supermarket Clerk Reports Suspicious ATM Activity
A 71-year-old man surnamed Chen in Taichung saw an ad for wax apples on Facebook and tried to buy them. The seller claimed he needed to complete "real-name authentication" and instructed him to use an ATM. A supermarket clerk noticed the suspicious behavior and alerted police, who arrived in time to stop the fraud and prevent any loss.
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- 📰 Published: June 3, 2026 at 17:45
- 🔍 Collected: June 3, 2026 at 17:58 (13 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 16:36 (70h 38m after Collected)
(Central News Agency, reporter Su Muchun, Taichung, 3rd) A man surnamed Chen in Taichung recently saw an advertisement for wax apples online. He contacted the seller to make a purchase, but the seller claimed he had not completed "real-name authentication" and instructed him to operate an ATM. When Mr. Chen went to a supermarket to use the ATM, a store clerk noticed something unusual and reported it to the police. Officers arrived at the scene and successfully stopped the fraud, preventing any financial loss.
The Taichung City Police Department's Third Precinct announced today that officers from the Chingong Police Station were on patrol around 6 p.m. the other day when they received a report from a chain supermarket in their jurisdiction. The report stated that a man was using an ATM while talking on the phone, suspected of being a fraud victim, and requested police assistance.
When officers arrived, they saw the 71-year-old man, surnamed Chen, sitting in a seating area next to the ATM, operating his phone. When the police approached to offer help, the man initially declined, saying he had only failed an online shopping "authentication." However, after the police continued to inquire, they discovered he had fallen victim to a fake online shopping scam.
Police investigation revealed that Mr. Chen had seen an advertisement for wax apples on Facebook. Wanting to taste a flavor from his memory, he contacted the seller via message. The seller said he could place an order for cash on delivery, but then claimed Mr. Chen had "not completed real-name authentication" and instructed him to follow directions to operate an ATM for verification.
Officers saw Mr. Chen holding three transaction receipts and initially thought he had transferred over NT$30,000. However, upon further confirmation, they found that the transaction had failed due to an operational error, so no money was deducted. This allowed Mr. Chen to breathe a sigh of relief. He thanked the supermarket clerk who reported the incident and the police for successfully preventing the fraud loss. (Editor: Li Hengshan) 1150603
The Taichung City Police Department's Third Precinct announced today that officers from the Chingong Police Station were on patrol around 6 p.m. the other day when they received a report from a chain supermarket in their jurisdiction. The report stated that a man was using an ATM while talking on the phone, suspected of being a fraud victim, and requested police assistance.
When officers arrived, they saw the 71-year-old man, surnamed Chen, sitting in a seating area next to the ATM, operating his phone. When the police approached to offer help, the man initially declined, saying he had only failed an online shopping "authentication." However, after the police continued to inquire, they discovered he had fallen victim to a fake online shopping scam.
Police investigation revealed that Mr. Chen had seen an advertisement for wax apples on Facebook. Wanting to taste a flavor from his memory, he contacted the seller via message. The seller said he could place an order for cash on delivery, but then claimed Mr. Chen had "not completed real-name authentication" and instructed him to follow directions to operate an ATM for verification.
Officers saw Mr. Chen holding three transaction receipts and initially thought he had transferred over NT$30,000. However, upon further confirmation, they found that the transaction had failed due to an operational error, so no money was deducted. This allowed Mr. Chen to breathe a sigh of relief. He thanked the supermarket clerk who reported the incident and the police for successfully preventing the fraud loss. (Editor: Li Hengshan) 1150603