Biggest-ever phishing syndicate bust leads to 24 indicted: Police

Taipei, Feb. 26 (CNA) With the final indictments issued in December, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) on Thursday identified a 2024 phishing syndicate as the largest ever dismantled in Taiwan both in terms of financial losses and number of suspects.

A CIB investigator told CNA by phone Thursday that 19 suspects were indicted in December, including two previously charged alongside five others in late 2024 -- bringing the total number of individuals indicted in the case to 24.

The 24 suspects were charged with fraud-related crimes under the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act and other laws for defrauding at least 107 individuals out of NT$4.5 million (US$143,000) through phishing text messages, said the CIB investigator.

He added that the number of suspects and amount of money involved make this the largest phishing syndicate ever dismantled in Taiwan.

The CIB under the National Police Agency held a press conference Wednesday to disclose details of the investigation into the case, following a review of the indictments issued against the final 19 suspects which the bureau received in mid-January.

The ring allegedly sent out text messages impersonating utility providers and businesses, such as Taiwan Water Corp. and Far Eastern Electronic Toll Collection Co., Chang Wei-lun (張瑋倫), deputy head of the police telecommunications investigation unit, said at the event.

The messages contained links to fraudulent websites designed to mirror those of the impersonated companies, tricking victims into providing credit card details and verification codes the scammers then used to make online purchases, Chang said.

Among the most notable cases was that of a man whose credit card was fraudulently charged 60 times and a woman who lost NT$200,000 to the scam, he added.

The 24 suspects -- led by an individual surnamed Chang (張) and a member of the Bamboo Union gang surnamed Kuo (郭) -- were apprehended in 11 cities and counties across Taiwan in various operations, from August 2024 to June last year, according to the CIB.

According to the CIB investigator, who spoke to CNA, the scams took place over about six months from April to September 2024.

Chang is currently serving a prison sentence for unrelated offenses, while the other 23 indicted suspects, who are not currently in custody, are awaiting trial, he said.

The CIB said the primary suspect, Chang, consulted with a China-based engineer on how to establish a phishing operation prior to the syndicate's formation, though officials did not specify whether the engineer was a Taiwanese or Chinese national.