Beyblade's Resurgence Becomes Bait for Scams; CIB Reports Approx. NT$800,000 in Losses
The popular battling toy 'Beyblade' has become bait for scams in Taiwan. According to the Criminal Investigation Bureau, over 70 cases of fraud exploiting private transactions on social media have occurred, with total losses amounting to approximately NT$800,000. The police are urging the public to use official trading platforms.
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- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 13:44
- 🔍 Collected: May 14, 2026 at 14:02 (17 min after Published)
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Taipei, May 14 (CNA) - The battling toy 'Beyblade' (戰鬥陀螺) has seen a resurgence in popularity, and the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) stated today that fraud rings are using it as bait to scam people through private messaging transactions. From January to early May, over 70 cases were reported, with total financial losses of more than NT$800,000.
The CIB of the National Police Agency held an 'Anti-Fraud Dashboard' press conference today on 'Beyblades Also Become Scam Bait, Beware of Tripartite Fraud Traps,' hosted by CIB Commissioner Chiu Shao-chou, with internet celebrity Lin Hsuan-ying from Yafun International Co. invited to raise awareness.
According to CIB press materials, the latest statistics from the 165 Anti-Fraud Dashboard show that in April, an average of 462 fraud cases were reported daily nationwide, with total financial losses of about NT$160 million. Compared to the same period last year, both the number of fraud cases and total losses have decreased, indicating good overall anti-fraud effectiveness.
The CIB's analysis of fraud methods, based on the number of reported cases, shows that online shopping fraud is the most common, followed by fake investment, sex-for-money scams, fake romance investment scams, and fake romance marriage scams.
The CIB stated that fraud rings often post fake sales listings on social media platforms like Facebook, LINE, Instagram, and Threads, with everything from concert tickets to free religious items becoming scam bait.
The CIB found that fraud rings use trending topics or popular products as bait. For instance, the recently highly-discussed Beyblades have also been used by fraud rings to lure people into private messaging transactions for scams.
Police said a victim saw a post selling Beyblades on Threads and privately contacted the seller. The seller provided a 'store-to-store' shopping link. After the victim filled out their information and made a transfer, the screen displayed 'Identity verification not yet complete, please contact specialist.'
The victim contacted the fake specialist, who claimed they needed to 'verify if the account is normal' and requested a video call and screen sharing. The victim was instructed to enter a withdrawal amount and a verification code, resulting in a total financial loss of tens of thousands of dollars.
The CIB advises that when shopping online, one should first choose e-commerce platforms or officially certified transaction mechanisms, avoid private transactions through Facebook groups or LINE private messages, and confirm that the URL is indeed official.
If people find they have not received goods after making a payment or their account has been flagged, they should immediately save conversation records, payment details, transaction page screenshots, and other data, and report to their bank and the police as soon as possible. The CIB added that if a person's account is flagged, they can download the application form for lifting the warning from the official website and go to a police station in person to have the warning lifted.
Beyblade is a battling toy launched by the Japanese toy company TAKARA TOMY. It became popular after its debut in 1999, and the animated series 'Beyblade' further boosted its global popularity, becoming a shared memory for many generations. It has recently experienced a resurgence. (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150514
The CIB of the National Police Agency held an 'Anti-Fraud Dashboard' press conference today on 'Beyblades Also Become Scam Bait, Beware of Tripartite Fraud Traps,' hosted by CIB Commissioner Chiu Shao-chou, with internet celebrity Lin Hsuan-ying from Yafun International Co. invited to raise awareness.
According to CIB press materials, the latest statistics from the 165 Anti-Fraud Dashboard show that in April, an average of 462 fraud cases were reported daily nationwide, with total financial losses of about NT$160 million. Compared to the same period last year, both the number of fraud cases and total losses have decreased, indicating good overall anti-fraud effectiveness.
The CIB's analysis of fraud methods, based on the number of reported cases, shows that online shopping fraud is the most common, followed by fake investment, sex-for-money scams, fake romance investment scams, and fake romance marriage scams.
The CIB stated that fraud rings often post fake sales listings on social media platforms like Facebook, LINE, Instagram, and Threads, with everything from concert tickets to free religious items becoming scam bait.
The CIB found that fraud rings use trending topics or popular products as bait. For instance, the recently highly-discussed Beyblades have also been used by fraud rings to lure people into private messaging transactions for scams.
Police said a victim saw a post selling Beyblades on Threads and privately contacted the seller. The seller provided a 'store-to-store' shopping link. After the victim filled out their information and made a transfer, the screen displayed 'Identity verification not yet complete, please contact specialist.'
The victim contacted the fake specialist, who claimed they needed to 'verify if the account is normal' and requested a video call and screen sharing. The victim was instructed to enter a withdrawal amount and a verification code, resulting in a total financial loss of tens of thousands of dollars.
The CIB advises that when shopping online, one should first choose e-commerce platforms or officially certified transaction mechanisms, avoid private transactions through Facebook groups or LINE private messages, and confirm that the URL is indeed official.
If people find they have not received goods after making a payment or their account has been flagged, they should immediately save conversation records, payment details, transaction page screenshots, and other data, and report to their bank and the police as soon as possible. The CIB added that if a person's account is flagged, they can download the application form for lifting the warning from the official website and go to a police station in person to have the warning lifted.
Beyblade is a battling toy launched by the Japanese toy company TAKARA TOMY. It became popular after its debut in 1999, and the animated series 'Beyblade' further boosted its global popularity, becoming a shared memory for many generations. It has recently experienced a resurgence. (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150514