TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) issued a stark warning Thursday (April 17) about Taiwan's growing fraud epidemic, describing it as a complex "ecosystem" deeply entangled with organized crime networks. Speaking at the "2025 Anti Fraud Forum" (2025 ETtoday斥詐風雲論壇), Lai called for aggressive government action against the interconnected criminal enterprises dealing in fraud, narcotics and illegal weapons.
Lai revealed that the Executive Yuan (行政院), Taiwan's cabinet, has created a specialized anti-fraud office designed to coordinate efforts across government ministries, local authorities, and private industry stakeholders to combat financial crimes. The president emphasized crucial backing needed from the Legislative Yuan (立法院), Taiwan's parliament, while highlighting his administration's push for comprehensive anti-fraud legislation that would strengthen criminal penalties and expand support services for victims.
The president detailed Taiwan's enhanced "anti-fraud program 2.0," which expands beyond enforcement to include preventative measures. New regulations require real-name verification for all online advertisers, while artificial intelligence systems now automatically identify and remove between 5,000 and 10,000 fraudulent advertisements each year. Lai noted that his administration has committed NT$7.3 billion (approximately US$225.4 million) to anti-fraud initiatives in the current fiscal year and implemented new verification protocols for cryptocurrency transactions to prevent digital currency scams.
Among new transparency measures, Lai announced the implementation of a public "fraud dashboard" that will track and publish daily financial losses to criminal schemes, helping citizens understand the scope of the problem. The president reiterated the connection between fraud operations and broader organized crime networks, calling for sustained pressure against these criminal enterprises. He urged Taiwanese citizens to exercise heightened vigilance regarding suspicious financial opportunities, particularly investment schemes promising unusual returns, while directing the National Police Agency (NPA, 警政署) to prioritize fraud prevention as a matter of social stability. ★
