New Taipei Police Bust NT$140M Fraud Ring Disguised as Charity, Arrest 16

New Taipei, May 14 (CNA) - The New Taipei City Criminal Investigation Corps announced today that they have dismantled a large-scale fraud group that packaged fake investments with a charitable image. The group allegedly induced the public to join investment communities by placing ads on social media platforms about travel, parenting, and charity, swindling over NT$140 million. A total of 16 people, including the main suspect surnamed Chen, were arrested.

The New Taipei City Police Department's Criminal Investigation Corps stated today that the fraud group operated with a telecommunications and information hub at its core, coordinating with advertisers, SIM card vendors, call operators, and money mules in a division of labor. Members first placed a large number of ads on social media platforms like Facebook with themes such as travel, movies, pets, and charity to attract people to join LINE groups.

The Criminal Investigation Corps' 4th team said that once the victims let their guard down, the group would launch fake investment projects such as 'Parenting Planet,' 'Travel Dream,' 'Light of Hope Parent-Child Fund,' and 'House of Learning and Arts,' promising guaranteed profits and high returns to lure people into investing large sums of money.

Police told CNA reporters that the group also used fake accounts to recruit temporary actors and staff to act as 'insiders' for the fraud ring, filming 'successful investment case' promotional videos. They also impersonated directors and production teams to create the illusion of a professional investment team, making victims mistakenly believe the investment plan was real and invest further.

Through big data analysis, police found that the information hub was responsible for controlling the fraudulent scripts and processes, SIM card vendors acquired burner phone numbers, call operators contacted victims, and directed money mules for face-to-face cash pickups, forming a complete criminal chain.

Police told CNA that the fraud group donated part of the illicit gains to actual charitable organizations and sent the donation receipts back to the overseas fraud hub. The fraud hub then used this material to create a positive 'investment team' image on social media to deceive people with their kindness, and also built trust through lotteries and small gifts.

The New Taipei Criminal Investigation Corps said that after nearly a year of investigation, they launched searches and arrests from June 2025 to March 2026, seizing evidence such as mobile phones, tablets, fake investment documents, forged charity certificates, prop gold bars, prop cash, and actual cash. Ultimately, 16 people, including Mr. Chen, were brought to justice. The case has been transferred to the Taiwan New Taipei District Prosecutors Office for investigation on charges of violating the Organized Crime Prevention Act, aggravated fraud, and the Money Laundering Control Act.

Police urge the public that investment messages online promising 'guaranteed profits' and 'high returns' are mostly fraudulent. People should not trust unknown investment channels and can call the 165 anti-fraud hotline or 110 for verification if in doubt. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150514