TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA, 數位發展部) launched a new app on Friday (Oct. 4) to help the public combat online scams. The app allows users to report and verify suspicious online messages, aiming to provide a robust tool against the rising tide of digital fraud.
The ministry explained in a Facebook post that users can paste URLs of suspected scam messages into the app to check if others have reported them. If not, they can immediately report the message themselves.
Available for both Android and iOS, the app also facilitates reporting impersonation scams involving public figures, prompting the ministry to request the removal of fraudulent ads from platforms.
The ministry's AI program proactively scans for celebrity impersonation scams and swiftly confirms their legitimacy before notifying social media platforms to remove them. The ministry has been internally testing the app and a corresponding website since late August 2024, with plans for an official launch in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Statistics from the app reveal that in the past month, users reported 55,000 suspicious messages, 27,000 of which were confirmed as scams and 12,000 of which were verified as non-scams.
Meanwhile, the "Anti-Fraud Dashboard" (打詐儀錶板) developed by the Ministry of the Interior (內政部) and the National Police Agency (警政署) reported 661 fraud cases on Oct. 3, with financial losses of NT$243.69 million. Investment scams topped the list, with 76 cases and losses of NT$164.86 million.
