MODA, LINE to roll out 'blue shield' accounts for officials to combat fraud

Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) said Tuesday it is working with messaging app LINE on an account authentication system for government officials in an effort to prevent fraud.

"LINE is the most widely used messaging app in Taiwan, which is why many fraud rings rely on the platform to carry out scams," MODA Deputy Minister Lin Yi-jing (林宜敬) said at a news conference in Taipei.

He added that one common scheme involves scammers impersonating local government officials or social workers on LINE, claiming to offer assistance while in fact spreading "false information."

To tackle the problem, LINE proposed developing a government official account authentication system together with MODA, Lin said.

The initiative will use a unified "blue shield" badge displayed next to an official's account name on their LINE profile page to help the public distinguish genuine accounts from fraudulent ones, according to MODA.

The account name will also display the official's agency, followed by their title and then their name, MODA said, citing as an example: "Tainan City Government Social Affairs Bureau Social Worker Wang Hsiao-ming." (臺南市政府社會局 社工 王小明).

Asked whether the information would automatically switch to other languages based on a user's settings on LINE, Yang Keng-yu (楊耿瑜), deputy head of MODA's Department of Digital Service, told CNA it will remain displayed in traditional Chinese.

In terms of account verification, Wang Cheng-ming (王誠明), head of MODA's Department of Digital Service, said that accounts showing a gray shield or no badge are unverified and not government-affiliated, warning the public to exercise caution.

He said that fake accounts using the names and photos of mayors, district chiefs, village or ward chiefs to borrow money have been reported.

In one county, 310 cases of suspected fake government LINE accounts were recorded, of which about 23 percent were confirmed to be impersonations, mainly related to health care, police and social welfare, Wang said.

To support the initiative, Wang said MODA will establish a system to authorize agencies to apply for "blue shield" accounts, while LINE will also set up a separate verification mechanism to cross-check application data with MODA.

"If a government official wants to apply for a 'blue shield' account, the application must be submitted through MODA, and we will also verify the applicant's identity," Wang added.

Regarding when the system will be launched, Yang told CNA that it is expected to first be rolled out in Taiwan's six special municipalities -- Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung -- but preparations are still underway, and it has yet to be launched as of Tuesday.