謙聖國際法律事務所

1. What Is Taiwan's New Financial Account Takeover Scam?

1.1 How Fake Police and Hospital Calls Target Victims

Financial account takeover fraud often begins with a phone call from someone impersonating a hospital employee, police officer, prosecutor, or court clerk. The caller may falsely claim that the victim's identity documents were stolen or used in a criminal investigation.

In one reported case in New Taipei City, a victim was told that their identification had been used to obtain controlled medication illegally. The scammers subsequently impersonated police officers and judicial personnel, demanding cooperation through messaging apps and supposed video interviews.

By creating fear of criminal prosecution, fraudsters persuaded the victim to disclose personal information, credit card details, online banking credentials, and securities account passwords.

1.2 How Scammers Gain Control of Financial Accounts

After obtaining sensitive information, scammers may instruct victims to purchase another smartphone, download an unfamiliar application, link credit cards, or log into financial accounts under the pretext of verifying suspicious transactions.

In the reported case, the victim was also instructed to activate call forwarding. The scammers allegedly used the compromised information to make approximately NT$2.6 million in unauthorized credit card transactions and liquidate securities worth more than NT$1.05 million. The reported total financial loss was approximately NT$3.66 million within two days.

🚨Unlike traditional scams that simply demand bank transfers, this method attempts to take control of the victim's financial identity and communication channels.

2. How Does the 21 Call Forwarding Scam Work?

2.1 Why Call Forwarding Can Compromise Bank Verification

On certain mobile networks, entering 21 followed by a telephone number and the required activation sequence may enable unconditional call forwarding. The exact code and activation method depend on the mobile carrier and network settings. Entering the prefix alone does not automatically transfer control of a phone or financial account. However, when scammers successfully activate call forwarding to their own number, incoming voice calls may be redirected without reaching the intended recipient.

This becomes particularly dangerous when banks contact customers to verify unusual credit card purchases, online banking activity, or securities transactions. Fraudsters receiving these calls may attempt to impersonate the account holder and falsely approve suspicious activity.

💡Call forwarding does not ordinarily redirect SMS messages or independently grant access to banking applications. The broader scam generally depends on additional compromised credentials, malicious software, or unauthorized account access.

2.2 Common Warning Signs of Financial Takeover Fraud

Financial takeover scams frequently rely on impersonation, intimidation, and secrecy. Common warning signs include callers claiming to represent police or prosecutors, demanding confidential cooperation, requesting banking passwords, or instructing victims to install unknown apps. Other suspicious instructions include purchasing a new phone, linking credit cards, providing securities account credentials, and activating call forwarding to an unfamiliar number.

Scammers may also insist that victims avoid contacting family members, banks, or legitimate authorities.

⚠️Taiwanese police and judicial authorities do not require citizens to surrender financial account credentials or activate call forwarding as part of an investigation. Requests of this nature should be treated as serious fraud warnings.

3. Fraud Penalties Under Article 339 of Taiwan's Criminal Code

3.1 Ordinary Fraud and Unlawful Financial Gains

Article 339 of Taiwan's Criminal Code addresses fraud involving unlawful acquisition of property or financial benefits.

Under Article 339, Paragraph 1, a person who intentionally deceives another into transferring property for unlawful gain may face imprisonment of up to five years, short-term imprisonment, or a fine of up to NT$500,000, either separately or in combination as permitted by law. Paragraph 2 also penalizes obtaining unlawful financial benefits through deception, while attempted fraud is punishable.

➟In financial account takeover cases, perpetrators may use false identities and fabricated investigations to induce victims to disclose information or authorize actions that facilitate subsequent financial losses.

3.2 Criminal Liability for Unauthorized Financial Transactions

Unauthorized credit card purchases, bank transfers, and securities transactions may involve fraud, unlawful financial gains, or other offenses depending on how the transactions were carried out. The legal classification depends on whether deception caused a person to transfer property, whether an unlawful benefit was obtained, and how electronic systems or financial institutions were involved.

Additional offenses involving computer-related fraud, unlawful access, or misuse of personal information may also require examination. Prosecutors must establish the relevant criminal elements through transaction records, communications, account activity, and other admissible evidence. Not every unauthorized transaction automatically constitutes the same form of fraud.

4. Aggravated Fraud Under Article 339-4

4.1 Impersonating Government Officials

Article 339-4 of Taiwan's Criminal Code provides enhanced penalties for fraud committed under specified aggravating circumstances.

These circumstances include impersonating government agencies or public officials, participation by three or more offenders, certain forms of public dissemination through communications media, and specified technology-based impersonation methods. The offense carries imprisonment of one to seven years and may include a fine of up to NT$1 million.

When scammers falsely identify themselves as police officers, prosecutors, or judicial officials to obtain victims' financial information, the conduct may satisfy the aggravating circumstance involving impersonation of public officials.

➟The prosecution must still prove the required elements of the underlying fraud offense and the applicable aggravating circumstance.

4.2 Fraud Committed by Three or More Participants

Financial takeover schemes often involve several participants responsible for different activities, such as making fraudulent calls, impersonating officials, obtaining account credentials, operating stolen financial accounts, or withdrawing proceeds. Where three or more individuals jointly commit fraud and the statutory requirements are established, aggravated fraud liability may arise under Article 339-4.

However, the existence of several people connected to a scheme does not automatically establish aggravated fraud against every defendant. The evidence must support the individual's criminal participation and the required mental elements, including the relevant circumstances of joint offending. Communications, financial records, device data, and transaction histories may be important in determining each participant's actual responsibility.

5. What Should Victims Do After a Call Forwarding Scam?

5.1 Stop Call Forwarding and Secure Financial Accounts

Victims who have entered an unfamiliar call-forwarding code should immediately stop following the caller's instructions and contact their mobile carrier through an independently verified customer service channel. Ask the carrier to inspect and disable unauthorized call-forwarding settings. Do not rely solely on cancellation codes supplied by unknown callers. Next, contact banks, credit card issuers, and securities firms to report suspected account compromise. Request appropriate account restrictions, card suspension, transaction reviews, and credential resets.

⚠️If an unknown app was installed, avoid using the potentially compromised device to access sensitive financial services until its security has been assessed.

5.2 Preserve Evidence and Report the Fraud

Victims should preserve relevant evidence, including call records, phone numbers, messaging conversations, suspicious app links, financial statements, and transaction notifications. It is particularly important to record when the initial call occurred, when call forwarding was activated, and when unauthorized financial transactions appeared.

In Taiwan, suspected fraud can be reported through the 165 Anti-Fraud Hotline or police emergency number 110. Early reporting may help financial institutions identify suspicious activity and preserve records needed for criminal investigations.

6. Legal Remedies for Financial Account Takeover Victims

6.1 Criminal Complaints and Financial Disputes

Victims of financial account takeover scams may need to address several legal and financial issues simultaneously.

These can include filing a criminal complaint, reporting unauthorized credit card transactions, disputing securities account activity, and requesting relevant banking or telecommunications records. A criminal investigation may involve tracing financial flows, identifying recipient accounts, examining call-forwarding records, and determining the roles of suspected perpetrators. The possibility of reversing transactions or recovering funds depends on the transaction type, applicable contractual terms, financial regulations, and individual circumstances.

6.2 Civil Compensation and Evidence Preservation

In addition to criminal proceedings, victims may consider civil claims against legally responsible parties. Potential compensation claims depend on proof of unlawful conduct, financial damage, causation, and other applicable legal requirements. Important evidence may include bank statements, credit card records, securities transaction histories, telecommunications records, and communications with the scammers.

➟Preserving a detailed timeline can help establish how the fraud developed and when financial losses occurred.

7. Frequently Asked Questions 

Not by itself. On supported networks, a completed call-forwarding activation sequence may redirect incoming voice calls to another number. It does not automatically give scammers complete control of the phone, text messages, or financial accounts.

Yes. If incoming calls are redirected to a number controlled by scammers, they may receive bank verification calls and attempt to impersonate the account holder.

No. Legitimate judicial investigations do not require citizens to provide online banking passwords, link credit cards, or activate call forwarding through instructions from unknown callers.

Ordinary fraud under Article 339 may result in imprisonment of up to five years and other statutory penalties. Aggravated fraud under Article 339-4 carries imprisonment of one to seven years and a possible fine of up to NT$1 million.

It may be. When fraud is committed by impersonating a government agency or public official, Article 339-4 may apply if the required criminal elements are established.

Recovery may be possible, but it depends on the circumstances, applicable financial rules, available evidence, and whether funds or responsible parties can be identified.

Stop using the app, contact your financial institutions and mobile carrier through trusted channels, secure your accounts using a safe device, preserve relevant evidence, and report suspected fraud to the authorities.

8. Conclusion

Taiwan's emerging financial account takeover scams demonstrate how criminals can combine impersonation, call forwarding, malicious applications, and stolen financial credentials to bypass ordinary security measures.

The most important warning sign is any request to surrender control over communications or financial accounts under the pretext of an official investigation.Victims should act quickly to secure their phones, notify financial institutions, preserve evidence, and report suspected fraud.

🧑🏻‍⚖️Chien Sheng International Law Firm provides legal assistance for fraud-related criminal matters and financial disputes, helping clients evaluate criminal complaints, compensation claims, and available legal strategies under Taiwanese law.

【CHIEN SHENG LAW FIRM】

• LINE Online Legal Consultation:：@lawuicc001（Click to Consult）
• Appointment by Phone:：(03)⠀3150-034
• Payment Methods: Cash｜Credit Card｜Bank Transfer

【Learn More】

• Facebook： 謙聖國際法律事務所
• Instagram：chien.sheng_