After a LINE account is stolen, friends and relatives in the contact list may receive messages asking to borrow money, buy game points, or click unknown links. The Chenggong Precinct of the Taitung County Police Bureau said recent LINE account theft cases have increased. Scam groups no longer contact victims only through stranger messages, but also use familiar identities to gain trust.
The five most common scam types are online shopping scams, fake investment scams, sex-service fraud, fake dating and investment scams, and phishing link scams. These cases may start through LINE or other messaging apps, then lead victims to fake customer service accounts, fake shopping sites, investment groups, or private transactions. An account name and profile photo alone are no longer enough to confirm who sent a message.
After taking over an account, scammers often ask for remittances or purchases by claiming temporary cash needs, advance payments, or game point buying. They may also send unknown links under the names of event notices, file sharing, or system verification. If an account has abnormal login activity, or if friends report suspicious messages, users should immediately go to "My account" in LINE settings, turn off "Allow login from other devices," and change the password. If login is no longer possible, they can contact LINE Corporation's official customer service to request account suspension and recovery.
Verification codes, passwords, and financial account information should never be given to others. Even if the sender claims to be a relative, friend, customer service staff member, or investment worker, users should verify first. When a LINE message asks for loans, remittances, point purchases, or personal data, confirm the identity by phone or video call. For suspicious cases, call the 110 police hotline or the 165 anti-fraud hotline.
