Analyzing Crypto Crime / Fake investments easily lead to crypto crime, councilors and lawyers urge preventing online traps
Taipei saw 3 cryptocurrency robberies in 4 days. Experts warn of violent offline trades and scams turning victims into accomplices through frozen accounts.
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- 📰 Published: April 19, 2026 at 09:55
- 🔍 Collected: April 19, 2026 at 11:00 (1h 5m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 11:11 (11 min after Collected)
Taipei experienced three consecutive cryptocurrency robberies within four days in March, and a victim in Chiayi lost his life after being robbed. Taipei city councilors demanded that police step up crackdowns on internet fraud and enforce the law strictly against robberies.
Cryptocurrency robberies are frequent. In 2024, a man surnamed Chen in Kaohsiung arranged to buy Tether (USDT) from a seller in Chiayi City. Unexpectedly, during the face-to-face transaction, he was robbed of NT$2.36 million in cash. Unwilling to accept the loss, Chen tried to block the car, was thrown off, and died after being sent to the hospital.
DPP Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng told CNA that despite police solving the recent robberies quickly, authorities must reflect on why crime syndicates dare to rob in broad daylight on Taipei streets. She urged police to analyze these cases, increase police presence near transaction hotspots like banks and cafes, and dig into the organizational motives behind these crimes.
KMT City Councilor Yang Chih-tou noted the anonymity of crypto makes it popular for fraud, adding that many platforms no longer match offline trades to avoid disputes. He urged the government to allocate budgets to warn the public about crypto scams and avoid offline meetings.
Lawyer Wang Hsin-chieh (Cat Boss Lawyer) stated that fake investment groups let early trades "succeed" to continuously drain victims. Robberies usually happen when criminal groups turn on each other or victims. She warned of a severe secondary issue: fraud rings often trick victims into giving up their bank accounts, turning them into dummy accounts and even accomplices.
Wang shared a case where a 30-year-old woman lost NT$30 million to a romance crypto scam and ended up with a frozen account. Victims often face lengthy legal battles, sometimes giving up on recovering their funds just to deal with being defendants. She advised never using "platforms recommended by netizens." (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150419
Cryptocurrency robberies are frequent. In 2024, a man surnamed Chen in Kaohsiung arranged to buy Tether (USDT) from a seller in Chiayi City. Unexpectedly, during the face-to-face transaction, he was robbed of NT$2.36 million in cash. Unwilling to accept the loss, Chen tried to block the car, was thrown off, and died after being sent to the hospital.
DPP Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng told CNA that despite police solving the recent robberies quickly, authorities must reflect on why crime syndicates dare to rob in broad daylight on Taipei streets. She urged police to analyze these cases, increase police presence near transaction hotspots like banks and cafes, and dig into the organizational motives behind these crimes.
KMT City Councilor Yang Chih-tou noted the anonymity of crypto makes it popular for fraud, adding that many platforms no longer match offline trades to avoid disputes. He urged the government to allocate budgets to warn the public about crypto scams and avoid offline meetings.
Lawyer Wang Hsin-chieh (Cat Boss Lawyer) stated that fake investment groups let early trades "succeed" to continuously drain victims. Robberies usually happen when criminal groups turn on each other or victims. She warned of a severe secondary issue: fraud rings often trick victims into giving up their bank accounts, turning them into dummy accounts and even accomplices.
Wang shared a case where a 30-year-old woman lost NT$30 million to a romance crypto scam and ended up with a frozen account. Victims often face lengthy legal battles, sometimes giving up on recovering their funds just to deal with being defendants. She advised never using "platforms recommended by netizens." (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150419