Taichung Woman Avoids Romance Scam by Fake Military Officer, Saves NT$320,000

In Taichung, a woman surnamed Lin was involved in an online romance with a man claiming to be a former US military officer. The man claimed he wanted to send her a valuable parcel but required NT$320,000 in fees. Lin went to the post office to wire the money but saw anti-fraud information on her phone while waiting, which led her to seek police advice and avoid the scam. The Taichung City Police Department's Taiping Precinct stated that on the afternoon of the 25th, the woman in her 50s visited the Taiping Police Station to ask if she was being scammed. Lin had met the man, who claimed to be a retired Chinese-American officer, on Facebook several months prior. The man claimed he was moving to Taiwan and had sent a valuable parcel that was stuck at customs, requiring a fee to release it. Lin followed instructions to go to the post office, but noticed a police anti-fraud alert on her phone while waiting. After police reviewed her chat history, they confirmed it was a typical 'fake friendship scam.' Lin canceled the transfer and thanked the police for their intervention.