Hand Over Online Banking Password, End Up with NT$4.95 Million Debt; Kaohsiung 'Hidden Woman' Must Pay Full Amount Even Without Intent

A Kaohsiung woman is burdened with a nearly NT$5 million debt after carelessly handing over her online banking credentials to an unknown man online. The individual, who identified himself as "Lin Shuang-lu," instructed the woman to set up a designated transfer and then shared her First Commercial Bank online banking account number and password via LINE.

The scammer exploited this access to use her account as a tool for further fraud. They convinced another woman, identified as Ms. Zhang, to download a falsified "Ruiyuan Mobile APP" for stock investments. Within just two weeks, the fraudulent app facilitated the siphoning of NT$4.95 million, all of which was subsequently transferred out of the victim's account.

Ms. Zhang, realizing she had been deceived, reported the incident to the police. The woman who provided her banking details became the sole identified accomplice in the scam. She was sued by Ms. Zhang for the full amount of her losses. Despite being legally notified, the woman adopted an ostrich-like approach, failing to appear in court or present a defense. The Taiwan court ruled that she must compensate the plaintiff NT$4.95 million, holding her responsible for enabling the fraud. The judge determined that as an adult, she could have foreseen that sharing her password would facilitate money laundering and found her to have "uncertain intent to aid fraud."

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The judge determined that as an adult, she could have foreseen that sharing her password would facilitate money laundering and found her to have 'uncertain intent to aid fraud.'