A citizen in Miaoli, Taiwan, fell victim to an investment scam by a fraudulent syndicate. Working with the police, the victim set a trap and managed to catch one of the couriers. To the police's astonishment, the courier turned out to be an 87-year-old man surnamed Huang.
According to a report from Liberty Times on the 15th, the Beimiao Police Station of the Miaoli Police Precinct received a notification from a bank on the 8th to prevent a scam. They discovered that a citizen, following the syndicate's instructions, had already lost over NT$2 million through wire transfers, face-to-face handovers, and sending packages.
The police then set a trap, asking the victim to cooperate and lure a syndicate member to a handover by claiming to want to invest in virtual currency. On the 14th, at a prearranged location on Guohua Road in Miaoli City, they arrested the 87-year-old man surnamed Huang and confiscated NT$650,000, a mobile phone, and other evidence.
Police investigations revealed that the victim had added a contact on Line, nicknamed "Warm-hearted and Bright," and was then told they could make a profit by investing in so-called century-old agarwood bead bracelets. Encouraged by the syndicate, the victim made a series of bank transfers, face-to-face cash handovers, and mailed packages containing cash, investing over NT$2 million in all.
The arrested courier claimed that he had met a girlfriend online, who asked him to come to Miaoli to pick up a package, and that he was unaware he was collecting money. He took the train from Taichung to Miaoli to collect the goods, not knowing he was being used.
After police questioning, the elderly man was transferred to the Miaoli District Prosecutors Office for investigation on suspicion of fraud and violations of anti-money laundering laws.