Changhua doctor's wife loses NT$6.2 million in fake stock investment scam

The wife of a doctor at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Changhua dreamed of making money in the stock market. Instead, she became a cash source for several fraud groups and lost NT$6.2 million before realizing she had been deceived.

She clicked a fake investment advertisement featuring a “stock market celebrity” on Facebook in November 2024. The scammers directed her into several LINE groups and persuaded her to download fraudulent investment apps, including “Huili” and “Xinrui MAX.” After handing over NT$100,000 as a first test, she saw what appeared to be a doubled return inside the fake app.

From December through March, four couriers visited the traditional medicine clinic and a nearby long-term care facility. They collected NT$100,000, NT$1 million, NT$1.3 million and NT$3.5 million in cash under the name of employees of a company called Silver Company. The couriers left the money at specified locations, where accomplices later retrieved it.

One of the groups also persuaded her to transfer NT$200,000 to a designated account on March 18, 2025. A courier then withdrew the money in several transactions from convenience stores in Chiayi. Police investigating that account found six other victims who had promptly reported their losses. After arresting the account holder in late March, investigators notified the woman about her transfer. She then realized that her five-month “investment” had cost her NT$6.2 million.

The cases linked to her involved seven scams and 14 couriers. All 14 were arrested, but none of the money was recovered. A woman who handled NT$3.5 million received a two-year-10-month sentence, while another who handled NT$1.3 million received two years. The remaining couriers received sentences ranging from one year and four months to one year and 10 months.