CIB Warns Against Clicking Unfamiliar Links as Scammers Use Fake E-commerce Platforms in Online Giveaway Scams

Central News Agency (CNA) message (Reporter Huang Li-yun, Taipei, 17th) – The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) stated today that a fraud ring has been luring victims on social media platforms under the guise of giving away items, then sending fake e-commerce website links to defraud them. For instance, a citizen attempting to obtain a blessed item from the Baishatun Mazu procession lost NT$30,000. The CIB urges the public not to click on unfamiliar web links. The CIB's Fraud Prevention Center issued a press release this afternoon, stating that criminals have recently been targeting buyers/sellers or luring people with fake giveaways (such as iPhones, laptops, and Mazu-related items) on social media platforms like Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, subsequently adding them on LINE for communication. The criminals then send counterfeit websites mimicking well-known brands like 7-11's 'MyShip' or FamilyMart's 'Fami-ship,' asking victims to use a designated platform for shipping. Once the victim operates on the fake website, messages like 'payment flow not signed' or 'real-name authentication required' immediately pop up, guiding the victim to contact a fake customer service. The fake customer service then instructs the victim to use cardless withdrawal, perform a transfer, or tricks them into screenshotting a QR code for payment, thereby defrauding them. The CIB added that in some cases, while the victim is being deceived by the fake customer service, the original fake buyer/seller bombards them with messages, claiming the victim's operational error has frozen their account. They might fabricate stories about a child needing urgent surgery they can't afford, or a physically abusive husband discovering the frozen account and becoming violent, using emotional blackmail to gain the victim's sympathy and make them more susceptible to the fake customer service's deception. As these fraudulent acts constitute fraud under the Criminal Code, the CIB states that victims can report such crimes with relevant evidence to the nearest police station. They also urge the public to follow fraud prevention principles: 'Do not click unfamiliar links,' 'Double-check the authenticity of transaction platform websites,' 'MyShip does not require real-name authentication or payment flow signing,' 'Real customer service will not add you on LINE or use video calls,' 'Stay calm when faced with emotional blackmail,' 'Do not send account information,' and 'Do not forward QR code payment codes.' Recently, a citizen, 'Siao-Hui' (pseudonym), saw a post on Threads claiming to give away blessed items from the Baishatun Mazu procession, with an ID card shown to prove authenticity. Believing it, she contacted the poster and received a 7-11 MyShip link. The website looked identical to the official one, but after filling in her details, a 'real-name authentication required' message appeared. The scammer then lied that contacting customer service for verification would resolve it. As Siao-Hui was communicating with the 'customer service,' she was flooded with messages from the original poster claiming their store was blocked and account frozen, constantly blaming her and saying she was about to be beaten to death by her abusive husband. In a panic, Siao-Hui followed the customer service's instructions to enable cardless withdrawal and sent a screenshot of the withdrawal QR code to them. She then received a bank message that NT$30,000 had been withdrawn from her account and realized she had been scammed. Another victim, a university student named 'A-Min' (pseudonym), a fan of a Korean group, collects a lot of K-pop merchandise and resells limited items on Facebook for extra cash. He recently received a message from a buyer wanting to purchase a K-pop photo card and providing a T-Cat (delivery service) LINE account for pickup. The buyer then claimed to have paid, but the order and account were frozen, blaming A-Min for the issue. The fake buyer then claimed their child was hospitalized and needed money for surgery. Believing the story, A-Min contacted the T-Cat LINE customer service provided by the buyer. Following their instructions, he enabled the 'Party Mode' screen sharing feature on LINE. Under the guise of a 'payment flow signing' verification, the customer service asked A-Min to operate his mobile payment app. He only realized he had fallen into a trap when his payment app notified him that a NT$50,000 payment had been made. (Editor: Lee Shu-hua) 1150517