Taitung Man Nearly Scammed of $2M as Scammers Use 'Non-Digital Track' Tactics

A man in Taitung, surnamed Xie, was targeted by a fraud syndicate and was about to withdraw 60,000 USD from his fixed deposit to hand over in person. Fortunately, bank staff and police intervened. Police noted that the syndicate used 'non-digital tracks' to avoid detection.

Zheng Shengyang, head of the Zhongxing Police Station of the Taitung County Police Department, stated today that officers Chen Yuru, Zeng Weihao, and Huang Yujie received a report from the Taitung branch of Fubon Life while on patrol. The report indicated a citizen might be encountering fraud and requested police assistance.

Officers rushed to the scene to find Xie attempting to withdraw his foreign currency deposit. Staff noticed the transaction was unusual and suspected fraud, leading them to report the case.

Zheng explained that Xie intended to withdraw 60,000 USD (approx. 1.92 million NTD) for living expenses in Vietnam, claiming the information was introduced by a friend from a local folk arts hall. However, staff found Xie could not provide contact details or specific information about this friend. His plan to convert all USD into Vietnamese Dong also flagged suspicions.

When police asked for communication records, Xie said they had only spoken face-to-face. Realizing he had been scammed, Xie stopped the withdrawal. Zheng emphasized that these 'non-digital track' characteristics are a tactic used by fraud groups to evade tracking.