"Fake Financial Supervisory Commission" rushes for year-end performance! Be precise when reporting personal information, don't be fooled

Recently, unscrupulous individuals have been impersonating “Financial Supervisory Commission” or “Inspection Bureau” officers, falsely claiming that citizens’ bank transfer funds are abnormal, and even accurately obtaining personal information in an attempt to scam people’s money. As the year-end approaches, it is a time when scam groups boost their performance. Please also remind your elders around you not to panic and accept everything blindly, or their retirement funds could be lost.

Taiwan’s New Type of Scam: Financial Supervisory Commission Officers Call to Freeze Accounts

Recently, unscrupulous individuals have been impersonating “Financial Supervisory Commission” or “Inspection Bureau” officers, falsely claiming that citizens’ bank transfer funds are abnormal, that their accounts have been flagged or frozen, and claiming they can assist with processing. In reality, this is a scam by criminal groups. These groups typically follow the process below, exploiting people’s fear of the law and the authority of public power:

Impersonation: The caller claims to be a “FSC officer” or “Inspection Bureau officer,” and can even accurately state your name and ID number to gain trust.

Creating panic: They inform you that your ID has been used to open accounts, there are abnormal transactions, or that your account is “involved in a criminal case,” has “unusual large transfers,” or has been “flagged as a warning account.” They may even disclose account details and encourage victims to report to the police.

Authority claims: They claim to need to “prove innocence” or “unfreeze” the account, asking you to click on a link in a text message, download a specific app (which could be remote control software), or transfer funds into a “designated custody account.”

The FSC does not have the authority to “freeze accounts”

The Financial Supervisory Commission has repeatedly emphasized the “Three No’s” principle through press releases:

• No proactive contact with the public
• No freezing/control of accounts
• No request for remittances

Account freezing is the authority of the banks. The FSC does not have access to individuals’ account transaction records and has no authority to review or freeze customer funds.

Year-end approaching, scams are desperate for performance, call 165 for safety

Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior Police Department has established the 165 hotline to strengthen the prevention of fraud crimes. It is a nationwide platform for anti-fraud consultation, reporting, and complaint.

When you receive suspicious calls, texts, or see online investment ads that raise doubts, please proactively call 165. Trained personnel will help assess whether it is a scam. If you discover scam websites, scam Line IDs, or phishing URLs, you can also call 165 to provide information and assist the police in taking down these illegal sites.

The 165 hotline mainly handles incoming calls from the public. If you receive a call showing “165” or “+165,” it is definitely a scam (scam groups often use number spoofing techniques).

Reminder: Besides personal information possibly being obtained by scam groups, they may also fish for your personal details through conversation. Especially as the year-end approaches, scam groups are eager to boost their performance. Also, don’t forget to remind your elders who are unfamiliar with financial and business practices—do not panic and accept everything blindly, or your retirement savings could vanish.

This article “Fake FSC Impersonators Boost Year-End Performance! Accurate Personal Data Reports, Don’t Fall for It” first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.