Man Sentenced to 1 Year and 5 Months for Double-Crossing Fraud Ring, Gaining NT$6,000

Central News Agency (CNA) message (Reporter Cheng Wei-chen, Changhua, 17th) – A man surnamed Chuang, who conspired with accomplices to double-cross a fraud ring, was sentenced by the Changhua District Court to 1 year and 5 months in prison for his part in splitting the illicit gains. According to the Changhua District Court's verdict, Chuang and two others, coveting the proceeds of a fraud group, premeditated a double-cross. Through an accomplice, they introduced two men to a fraud ring member surnamed Huang. One was to act as a money mule (carter), and the other as a collector who would transport the mule and transfer the illicit funds to their superiors. In 2021, other members of the fraud ring posed as telecom customer service staff and police officers to call a victim, falsely claiming the victim had unpaid telecom bills and their ID was compromised in a criminal case, demanding cash and a bank card for official verification. The victim, believing the story, placed NT$140,000 in cash and their passbook in an envelope, left it in a vehicle's storage box, and then parked the vehicle by the roadside and left. The mule then went to retrieve it, got into the collector's car, and took the illicit funds to Chuang's residence, instead of handing it over to the member surnamed Huang. Chuang received NT$6,000 of the stolen money, while the others received amounts ranging from NT$12,500 to NT$96,500. Later, the ring member surnamed Huang realized he had been double-crossed and retaliated by beating the mule and others. The Changhua District Court stated that Chuang and his accomplices' scheme to double-cross not only caused financial loss to the victim but also disrupted social order. Considering Chuang's post-offense confession and his willingness to compensate the victim—although an agreement couldn't be reached as the victim has since passed away—the court sentenced Chuang for the crime of joint fraudulent obtaining of property by impersonating a public official. He received a sentence of 1 year and 5 months in prison, and his criminal proceeds were confiscated. The case can be appealed. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150517