Free Trials Hide Traps: Digital Industry Administration Warns of Scam Groups Impersonating Customer Service
The Digital Industry Administration has warned about scam groups impersonating customer service and demanding ATM operations under the guise of free trials. Consumers are urged to be cautious of suspicious links and websites, and to avoid entering personal or credit card information or complying with ATM operation instructions.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 22:34
- 🔍 Collected: May 1, 2026 at 23:02 (27 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 2, 2026 at 03:09 (4h 7m after Collected)
Central News Agency (Reporter Chao Min-ya, Taipei, 1st) Recently, some members of the public have seen 'free trial membership' activities on shopping websites. After registering and filling in personal information as instructed, they received calls from individuals claiming to be platform customer service, stating that there was a system setting error and demanding ATM operations. The Digital Industry Administration reminds the public that scam groups often use 'free trials' as bait. If the public receives calls claiming to be customer service and asking them to operate ATMs or online banking, they should not follow the instructions to avoid being scammed.
The Digital Industry Administration previously shared a scam case, pointing out that a member of the public saw an advertisement for 'free trial membership' on a social media platform, claiming to offer preferential prices and priority purchase of popular products. After clicking the link, they entered a website that looked similar to a general e-commerce platform, and then registered an account and filled in personal data and credit card information as instructed.
This member of the public later received a call from someone claiming to be platform customer service. The other party claimed that due to a system setting error, the account was mistakenly set as a 'wholesale member,' and if not handled immediately, additional fees might be incurred, demanding ATM operations to cancel the setting. The public initially believed it to be true, but after inquiring with the actual e-commerce platform customer service, they discovered that the website was fake, and immediately stopped the operation and contacted the bank to strengthen account security.
The Digital Industry Administration explained that scam groups often use social media platforms to post advertisements for 'super low-priced products' or 'free trial memberships,' luring the public to click into fake e-commerce platforms or phishing websites. When registering or applying for a trial, they ask the public to fill in personal information and bind credit cards to collect information, and then impersonate platform customer service to call, using reasons such as 'system setting error' or 'duplicate deduction' to demand ATM or online banking 'cancellation of settings,' which is actually a transfer scam.
The Digital Industry Administration stated that when browsing social media platforms, the public should be vigilant about 'free trials' or advertisements for products significantly lower than market prices, avoid casually clicking on unknown links, and must confirm the authenticity of the website before registering as a member or filling in information, paying special attention to whether the URL is the official platform.
The Digital Industry Administration reminds the public to avoid entering credit card information or personal data on unknown websites to prevent personal data leakage and illegal use. In addition, when receiving calls claiming to be customer service and asking to operate ATMs or online banking, the public should be highly vigilant and never follow the instructions. If you encounter a suspicious shopping website, you can enter the URL into the Digital Development Department's online fraud reporting and inquiry website, or call the 165 hotline to confirm if it is a scam website. (Editor: Chang Jo-yao) 1150501
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to get the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.
The Digital Industry Administration previously shared a scam case, pointing out that a member of the public saw an advertisement for 'free trial membership' on a social media platform, claiming to offer preferential prices and priority purchase of popular products. After clicking the link, they entered a website that looked similar to a general e-commerce platform, and then registered an account and filled in personal data and credit card information as instructed.
This member of the public later received a call from someone claiming to be platform customer service. The other party claimed that due to a system setting error, the account was mistakenly set as a 'wholesale member,' and if not handled immediately, additional fees might be incurred, demanding ATM operations to cancel the setting. The public initially believed it to be true, but after inquiring with the actual e-commerce platform customer service, they discovered that the website was fake, and immediately stopped the operation and contacted the bank to strengthen account security.
The Digital Industry Administration explained that scam groups often use social media platforms to post advertisements for 'super low-priced products' or 'free trial memberships,' luring the public to click into fake e-commerce platforms or phishing websites. When registering or applying for a trial, they ask the public to fill in personal information and bind credit cards to collect information, and then impersonate platform customer service to call, using reasons such as 'system setting error' or 'duplicate deduction' to demand ATM or online banking 'cancellation of settings,' which is actually a transfer scam.
The Digital Industry Administration stated that when browsing social media platforms, the public should be vigilant about 'free trials' or advertisements for products significantly lower than market prices, avoid casually clicking on unknown links, and must confirm the authenticity of the website before registering as a member or filling in information, paying special attention to whether the URL is the official platform.
The Digital Industry Administration reminds the public to avoid entering credit card information or personal data on unknown websites to prevent personal data leakage and illegal use. In addition, when receiving calls claiming to be customer service and asking to operate ATMs or online banking, the public should be highly vigilant and never follow the instructions. If you encounter a suspicious shopping website, you can enter the URL into the Digital Development Department's online fraud reporting and inquiry website, or call the 165 hotline to confirm if it is a scam website. (Editor: Chang Jo-yao) 1150501
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to get the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.