The Criminal Investigation Bureau stated that medical-related fraud schemes have recently evolved into new forms. Fraud rings are no longer limited to online shopping or investment scams but have shifted to targeting people suffering from illnesses and urgently seeking health improvement. These groups place medical advertisements on social media, impersonate doctors or traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, create a professional image, and lure victims into so-called “online consultations,” then sell expensive medicines of unknown origin to make illicit profits.

Police explained that a chronic disease patient in northern Taiwan saw a fake medical advertisement on social media and joined a messaging app account for online consultation. The scammer used professional-sounding explanations to analyze the condition and recommended purchasing medicines without ingredient labels, claiming a full course of treatment was necessary. The victim made multiple cash-on-delivery purchases totaling nearly NT$200,000, yet the condition did not improve and worsened, leading to hospitalization. After failing to contact the shipping information, the victim realized the fraud and reported it to the police.

The Criminal Investigation Bureau analyzed that fraud groups have recently combined AI technology to quickly generate fictitious doctor images, consultation videos, and medical instructions, further strengthening trust in the “white-coat professionalism” and lowering public vigilance. Police remind the public that medical treatment should be conducted at licensed medical institutions, and medicines should be obtained through a physician’s prescription or licensed pharmacies. People should not trust online advertisements or unverified online consultations, to avoid delaying treatment and causing irreversible harm to health.