18 indicted for defrauding Hong Kongers

Taipei, April 22 (CNA) The Taichung District Prosecutors Office recently indicted 18 individuals believed to be part of a fraud ring that impersonated Chinese security officers to defraud Hong Kongers, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said Wednesday.

The individuals were indicted on charges of fraud, money laundering and organized crime, the CIB said in a statement.

The bureau said it had received reports of a scam ring that tricked victims into transferring money by falsely claiming their personal information had been stolen and used in criminal activities, and therefore required their assets to be placed under monitoring.

After an investigation, the CIB said it found that the scam ring was led by a man in his 30s surnamed Huang (黃).

Huang instructed members to pose as Chinese prosecutors or police officers, spoof phone numbers to appear as those of police stations in China, and use AI-generated video calls to defraud victims before laundering the proceeds through cryptocurrency, the CIB said.

The bureau did not say whether the fraud ring contacted Hong Kongers living in Taiwan or in Hong Kong, but local media said they targeted those living in Hong Kong.

In June 2025, a task force commanded by the Taichung District Prosecutors Office and formed by police and CIB officers raided two call centers of the fraud ring and arrested 17 individuals, which included first-line, second-line and third-line scammers as well as other key figures.

Evidence including cell phones, computers, fake uniforms, fake badges and fake security slogans were also seized.

After continuous tracking, the task force then arrested Huang in early December 2025, according to the CIB.

The operation scammed nearly 100 Hong Kongers since its establishment in 2025, with illegal gains totaling NT$30 million (US$952,642), the bureau said.