Head of Charity Foundation Not Indicted After Fundraising Account Allegedly Misused by Fraud Ring
The head of the Taipei City Chuan-De Charity Foundation, accused of providing a fundraising account to a fraud group, was not prosecuted. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office found insufficient evidence of complicity, noting that the foundation's account was likely exploited by the criminals. The foundation had previously issued public warnings about such scams, and the account's transaction patterns did not align with money laundering, suggesting the foundation was also a victim.
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- 📰 Published: May 19, 2026 at 11:37
- 🔍 Collected: May 19, 2026 at 12:01 (23 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 19, 2026 at 12:07 (6 min after Collected)
Taipei, May 19 (CNA) – The head of the Taipei City Chuan-De Charity Foundation, surnamed Lin, will not be prosecuted for fraud and other charges after the foundation's fundraising account was allegedly provided to a fraud ring, which tricked victims into making payments. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office concluded today that there was insufficient evidence to press charges, as it appears the foundation's account was hijacked and misused by the criminals.
According to the non-indictment disposition from the prosecutors' office, police had referred the case, alleging that on an unknown date before September 21, 2025, Lin provided the foundation's bank account details to members of a fraud ring. This was used to deceive 31 individuals into transferring money. After victims reported the incidents, police suspected Lin of aiding in fraud and money laundering.
However, prosecutors found that the Chuan-De Charity Foundation had published its fundraising account number on its official website's donation platform. Due to repeated misuse by fraud groups, the foundation had specifically posted an article titled "A Warm Reminder, Beware of Scams!" to warn the public against illegal activities conducted in its name.
According to the disposition, the foundation urged the public not to trust false information. It pointed out that recent scam tactics mainly involved using raffles or fortune-telling on social media as bait to attract small payments for shipping fees or minor donations. The scammers deliberately provided the foundation's real fundraising account number to gain trust. Victims would then receive private messages claiming they had won a prize and were asked to provide personal data, leading to more severe financial losses or data breaches.
Furthermore, prosecutors discovered that from June to December 2025, the foundation's account received multiple small-sum deposits, indicating it was genuinely used for fundraising. If Lin had intended to aid in fraud and money laundering, it is unlikely he would have risked the foundation's account being frozen, which would halt its operations. Additionally, all transactions were deposits, with no immediate withdrawals or transfers.
Considering all the evidence, prosecutors determined they could not rule out the possibility that the fraud ring had exploited the foundation's fundraising account to deceive victims. Therefore, they found the evidence against Lin to be insufficient and decided not to indict him. (Edited by Chang Ya-ching) 1150519
According to the non-indictment disposition from the prosecutors' office, police had referred the case, alleging that on an unknown date before September 21, 2025, Lin provided the foundation's bank account details to members of a fraud ring. This was used to deceive 31 individuals into transferring money. After victims reported the incidents, police suspected Lin of aiding in fraud and money laundering.
However, prosecutors found that the Chuan-De Charity Foundation had published its fundraising account number on its official website's donation platform. Due to repeated misuse by fraud groups, the foundation had specifically posted an article titled "A Warm Reminder, Beware of Scams!" to warn the public against illegal activities conducted in its name.
According to the disposition, the foundation urged the public not to trust false information. It pointed out that recent scam tactics mainly involved using raffles or fortune-telling on social media as bait to attract small payments for shipping fees or minor donations. The scammers deliberately provided the foundation's real fundraising account number to gain trust. Victims would then receive private messages claiming they had won a prize and were asked to provide personal data, leading to more severe financial losses or data breaches.
Furthermore, prosecutors discovered that from June to December 2025, the foundation's account received multiple small-sum deposits, indicating it was genuinely used for fundraising. If Lin had intended to aid in fraud and money laundering, it is unlikely he would have risked the foundation's account being frozen, which would halt its operations. Additionally, all transactions were deposits, with no immediate withdrawals or transfers.
Considering all the evidence, prosecutors determined they could not rule out the possibility that the fraud ring had exploited the foundation's fundraising account to deceive victims. Therefore, they found the evidence against Lin to be insufficient and decided not to indict him. (Edited by Chang Ya-ching) 1150519