The Taipei City-famous松山慈惠堂 temple held the "臺北母娘文化祭" (Taipei Mother Goddess Culture Festival) on April 28th. The event included the "Anlong Guardian God Blessing Ceremony", "Protecting the People's Pilgrimage Carnival", and "Promoting Motherhood Music Concert". Considering the participants were mostly middle-aged and elderly believers, the Criminal Police Bureau (CPB) specifically held anti-scam awareness campaigns at the temple fair, reminding people to pay attention to their elderly family members and jointly build a family anti-scam network to prevent elderly people from being victims.
According to the 165 anti-scam dashboard of the Police Department, as of March 31, 2023, the most common scams targeting those aged 65 and above are "fake investment scams", "online shopping scams", "fake buyer scams", "fake friendship scams", and "winning prize scams". Fake investment scams are the most prevalent, severely impacting the retirement savings of seniors. Strengthening the anti-scam awareness of senior citizens is crucial.
To combat fraud, police actively crack down on scam groups and intensify awareness campaigns. They produced case example videos to show the scam operation methods to raise public awareness. For scams that impersonate government agencies, the Criminal Police Bureau invited the entertainer Bai Bingbing to be an awareness ambassador. Through relatable scenarios, they warn the public if they receive messages such as "someone has used your dual credentials to open an account", "requests to manage assets", "demands to transfer accounts", or "instructions to conduct online statements", to immediately be vigilant, not to transfer money according to instructions, and to call the 165 hotline or go to the police station for verification.
Furthermore, real estate expert "Faden Go" (范揚琪) also warned that the so-called "investors" and "notaries" in fake investment groups are scam tactics. The public should maintain vigilance and not be easily misled.
Facing the constantly evolving and increasingly sophisticated fraudulent methods, the Criminal Police Bureau urges the public to remember the "Five Don'ts" for anti-fraud: "Do not answer" unknown cross-border calls, "do not listen to" instructions from strangers to invest or make transfers, "do not click" suspicious online links, "do not share" personal information, and "do not trust" any messages claiming to be from police or prosecutors demanding to manage accounts or transfers. If encountering suspicious situations, calmly verify and call the 165 anti-scam hotline or 110 to ensure personal financial safety.
