2026 Elections: Man loses NT$1.04m in fraud scheme
By Yao Yueh-hung / Staff reporter
The Criminal Investigation Bureau has warned the public about a new type of election-related scam after an auto repair shop owner lost NT$1.04 million (US$32,160) to a fake investment scheme involving “election campaign advertisements.”
The bureau said the fraud group exploited voters’ enthusiasm for political candidates by claiming that although the statutory limit for political donations to a single candidate is NT$100,000 per year, individuals can offer additional support by buying shares in the candidate’s political advertisements and receive a share of the profits if the candidate gets elected.
Scammers said that investors could later join stock trading online chat groups personally managed by political figures, promising them guaranteed profits with zero risk of loss, the bureau said.
An infographic warning against election-related scam.
Photo courtesy of the Criminal Investigation Bureau
According to the bureau, an auto repair shop owner surnamed Wang (王), driven by strong support for a particular candidate, paid NT$1.04 million to the fake advertisement investment fund in August through bank transfers and promissory notes.
The fraud outfit later enticed Wang with a new lure — investing in stocks managed by the politician, promising a 12 percent return on principal within three months — to urge him to double down on “investments,” the bureau said.
Drawn to the idea, Wang even mortgaged his vehicle for a NT$900,000 loan through a pawnshop introduced by the fraud group and was ready to “invest” more, it said.
The bureau said that a friend warned the victim, and he realized that something was wrong and pressed the scammers for details, only to be blocked and deleted immediately from the chat group, confirming that he had fallen victim to a scam.
As election campaigning heats up, people should express their support to candidates through legal channels of donation and request receipts, the bureau said.
Any scheme that promises substantial returns or guaranteed profits from investing in a candidate’s political ads or buying shares in a candidate is definitely a scam tactic used by fraud groups, it added.
Candidates’ advertisement and campaign funds are not open for public investment, so if people are contacted by individuals claiming to be campaign headquarters’ staff inviting them to “invest” and request wire transfers or promissory notes, it is most likely a scam, it said.
They should first call the bureau’s 165 Anti-Fraud Hotline or verify the claim using the online 165 Anti-Fraud Dashboard smart customer service, it said.
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