Fraudsters Claim Profit from International Crude Oil Fluctuations, Woman Loses Over 2 Million Due to Fake Investment
A woman was scammed out of NT$2.42 million after being lured to invest in crude oil via a fake app called 'XT'. Police urge the public to use the '165' hotline's new AI assistant to verify suspicious links.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 18, 2026 at 16:25
- 🔍 Collected: April 18, 2026 at 16:31 (5 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 18, 2026 at 21:30 (4h 58m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Reporter Liu Chien-pang, Taipei, 18th) The Criminal Investigation Bureau recently received reports that fraudsters are using the fluctuations in international crude oil prices caused by the US-Iran war as bait to scam the public through fake investments. Victims download a fake crude oil investment APP, only realizing they were scammed when they cannot withdraw funds. A woman suffered a financial loss of over NT$2.42 million.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau issued a press release today stating that a woman surnamed Tsai in the north recently added a stranger as a friend on LINE. During their interactions, the other party boasted that the US-Iran war was a golden opportunity to get rich by investing in crude oil. They claimed the investment guaranteed profits without losses and urged Tsai to invest in international crude oil to make a fortune from the war.
Police said that without verifying, Tsai joined a fake investment APP named "XT" provided by the other party, applied for an account, and followed instructions to transfer money and hand over cash in person. However, when she felt her profits had reached expectations and wanted to withdraw her investment gains, she was unable to get the money out.
Tsai later found that the fake investment APP had been forcibly shut down, and the netizen she had added on LINE lost contact. Realizing she had been scammed, she reported it to the police. Her total financial loss amounted to over NT$2.42 million.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau stated again to remind the public that this is a fake investment scam tactic. Characteristics include using current events to package their pitches, asking victims to download apps of unknown origins or meet in person, and finally claiming that more funds must be added due to withdrawal difficulties before profits can be returned. These are all standard scam procedures, and the public must heighten their vigilance.
The Bureau mentioned that in response to rapidly evolving scam tactics, the "165 Anti-Fraud Dashboard" has introduced an AI smart customer service assistant, integrating anti-fraud databases to provide real-time interactive consultation for the public. The assistant can identify scam risks for the public based on their inquiry scenarios and provide specific action advice.
Furthermore, the "165 Anti-Fraud Dashboard" also has a real-time search function for "fraud-related URLs," instantly determining whether a website poses a scam risk. The public is encouraged to use it frequently to avoid being scammed, and remember to dial 165 or visit the 165 official website when encountering potential scams. (Editor: Li Hsi-chang) 1150418
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(Central News Agency, Reporter Liu Chien-pang, Taipei, 18th) The Criminal Investigation Bureau recently received reports that fraudsters are using the fluctuations in international crude oil prices caused by the US-Iran war as bait to scam the public through fake investments. Victims download a fake crude oil investment APP, only realizing they were scammed when they cannot withdraw funds. A woman suffered a financial loss of over NT$2.42 million.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau issued a press release today stating that a woman surnamed Tsai in the north recently added a stranger as a friend on LINE. During their interactions, the other party boasted that the US-Iran war was a golden opportunity to get rich by investing in crude oil. They claimed the investment guaranteed profits without losses and urged Tsai to invest in international crude oil to make a fortune from the war.
Police said that without verifying, Tsai joined a fake investment APP named "XT" provided by the other party, applied for an account, and followed instructions to transfer money and hand over cash in person. However, when she felt her profits had reached expectations and wanted to withdraw her investment gains, she was unable to get the money out.
Tsai later found that the fake investment APP had been forcibly shut down, and the netizen she had added on LINE lost contact. Realizing she had been scammed, she reported it to the police. Her total financial loss amounted to over NT$2.42 million.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau stated again to remind the public that this is a fake investment scam tactic. Characteristics include using current events to package their pitches, asking victims to download apps of unknown origins or meet in person, and finally claiming that more funds must be added due to withdrawal difficulties before profits can be returned. These are all standard scam procedures, and the public must heighten their vigilance.
The Bureau mentioned that in response to rapidly evolving scam tactics, the "165 Anti-Fraud Dashboard" has introduced an AI smart customer service assistant, integrating anti-fraud databases to provide real-time interactive consultation for the public. The assistant can identify scam risks for the public based on their inquiry scenarios and provide specific action advice.
Furthermore, the "165 Anti-Fraud Dashboard" also has a real-time search function for "fraud-related URLs," instantly determining whether a website poses a scam risk. The public is encouraged to use it frequently to avoid being scammed, and remember to dial 165 or visit the 165 official website when encountering potential scams. (Editor: Li Hsi-chang) 1150418
Choose to stand with the facts; every sponsorship from you is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA 'First Hand News' APP to instantly grasp the latest news.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.