Fake investment scams are constantly evolving. In January of this year, a woman in New Taipei City was misled by the rhetoric of "impersonating celebrities to invest." She not only invested her life savings but also mortgaged two of her houses to take out loans. In the end, she lost all her investment money and was burdened with high loan interest, with losses exceeding NT$20 million.
The woman had initially only searched for ETF stock investment information on Facebook, but was subsequently led to join an investment group filled with numerous "profit screenshots" and "success story sharing," creating the illusion that everyone was profiting. During this time, someone in the group claiming to be an "investment advisor" even claimed that if the investment plan was successful, "the police would escort the money and personally deliver it to your home," thereby increasing credibility.
Later, a member claiming to be Chairman Guo took the initiative to add the victim as a friend in the group. He deliberately built a trust relationship with the victim by saying, "I am also afraid of being scammed." After successfully lowering the victim's alertness, he recommended another investment plan with "higher returns" and asked the victim to download an investment app that pretended to be a securities exchange. He then taught the victim step by step how to operate the app and the so-called "withdrawal process."
The National Police Agency urges the public to be wary of any investments that boast "celebrity endorsements," "guaranteed profits," or "guaranteed returns"—these are all scams. Legitimate investments will not require you to download apps from unknown sources, nor will they instruct you to use false pretenses to avoid bank staff. Do not trust posts, videos, or invitations from unfamiliar groups on social media. Always invest through legal channels, download investment apps regulated by the relevant authorities. If you encounter any suspicious investment messages, please call the 165 anti-fraud hotline for consultation.
