Police uncovered Facebook investment advertisements... where a retired civil servant in Changhua was deceived by a fraud group, losing all his savings. Ms. Wang almost transferred money to an overseas account, but the alert bank teller detected the scam.

With the advancement of technology, scamming methods continue to evolve. On March 18, 113, the Yilan District Prosecutors Office invited Officer Zhan Xueyong from the Political and Law Enforcement Division of the Yilan County Government Police Department to share "Common Scam Methods and Prevention" with the participants. The aim was to raise awareness and prevent people from falling victim to scams.

During the course, Officer Zhan explained that scam groups nowadays often lure people through popular social media platforms (Line, Facebook, IG, etc.), e-commerce, online dating platforms, and more. They promise high returns on investments, sell various investment targets, impersonate celebrities, experts, or relatives to recommend investments, or lure people into investment teams or websites with low prices or limited-time offers. They then request money transfers to designated accounts. Once people are hooked, scam groups may demand further payments under various pretexts or disappear altogether.

Moreover, with the convenience of e-commerce, scam groups also exploit online auction platforms or social platforms by offering low prices or limited-time offers to attract people to bid or message for purchases. They may also chat with people using various identities and appearances, build relationships, and request money transfers to designated accounts under various pretexts.

Officer Zhan reminded the participants that besides these three common scam methods, there are many others, such as impersonating institutions, fake job offers, or "guess who I am" games. People should remain vigilant, not trust unfamiliar calls or messages, verify authenticity, and call the 165 hotline or seek police assistance. Remember, prevention is better than cure. With a little extra caution, the risk of being deceived can be reduced.