Facebook Game Account Scam Nets Keelung Man 1 Year, 2 Months in Prison

A man from Keelung has been sentenced to prison for scamming a gamer out of over NT$14,000 by falsely selling a game account online. The court handed down a sentence of 1 year and 2 months for aggravated fraud.

The accused, identified by the surname Wu, reportedly needed money and posted a fake advertisement in a Facebook group for the game "Legend of the Duel." He claimed to have an account for sale, despite not possessing one. A player from Taoyuan, identified by the surname Yang, fell for the scam and made 11 separate payments between December 2022 and January 2023, totaling NT$14,400.

After repeatedly failing to receive the promised game account, the victim realized he had been defrauded and reported the incident to the police. The case was subsequently transferred to the Keelung District Prosecutors Office, which investigated and determined that Wu had violated laws related to online fraud.

During the trial at the Keelung District Court, Wu admitted to his actions. However, the judge noted that Wu had not reached a settlement with the victim, nor had he compensated the victim or voluntarily surrendered the illicit gains. Consequently, the court did not apply any leniency for a confession and imposed the sentence of 1 year and 2 months, also ordering the forfeiture of the NT$14,400 obtained through the fraud.