Six Schools in Kaohsiung Receive Fake Donation Scam Calls, All Report to Police Without Falling Victim

(Central News Agency reporter Lin Chiao-Lien, Kaohsiung, June 16) Recently, six schools in Kaohsiung received scam phone calls. The Education Bureau stated that illegal individuals have been contacting schools under the guise of charitable donations. After investigation, it was confirmed that five high schools and one elementary school received suspicious calls or messages. Fortunately, none of the schools were deceived and all have reported the incidents to the police.

Media reports indicate that unscrupulous individuals have recently been impersonating companies or charitable organizations, contacting schools under the pretense of donations or fundraising, attempting to obtain school bank account information, and even requesting cooperation in subsequent money transfer procedures. According to investigations, six schools in Kaohsiung have already received similar messages and immediately reported them to the police, providing relevant information to assist in investigations. So far, no financial losses have occurred.

The Education Bureau stated that scam groups are constantly refining their tactics, often exploiting schools' goodwill toward charitable donations as an entry point to obtain financial information. On May 20, a city-wide notice was issued to alert all schools to such scams. The Ministry of Education also issued the latest anti-fraud information through the School Safety Center on May 27, warning schools nationwide about recent incidents of individuals falsely claiming to represent charitable donations.

Given the increasing frequency of such scam messages, schools have recently been reminded again: if contacted by individuals claiming to represent enterprises, foundations, or civic groups offering donations or scholarships, they must verify the information through official channels using multiple methods. Schools must not arbitrarily provide bank account details or follow instructions to initiate transfers, to avoid falling into scam traps.

The Education Bureau emphasized that no schools in Kaohsiung have suffered financial losses so far. However, as scam methods continue to evolve, schools must not only enhance administrative staff's risk awareness but also continuously strengthen fraud education for teachers, students, and parents. The city government has been encouraging the download of the 'Police Service APP' through various meetings and promotional channels and promoting the use of the National Police Agency's '165 Anti-Fraud Website' to stay updated on the latest scam cases and prevention techniques. (Editor: Chang Ming-Kun) 1150616

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