Mother Sentenced for Using Daughter's Identity for NT$1.63 Million Loan, Appeal Rejected

A woman in Taiwan has been sentenced for using her daughter's personal information to secure credit cards and a substantial loan of NT$1.63 million. The woman, identified only by her surname Yan, resorted to identity theft because of her own poor credit history.

Yan illegally obtained her daughter's identity card and health insurance card, even using photos stored on her phone, to apply for credit cards and a personal loan online. She successfully obtained credit cards for purchases and cash advances, and later secured a loan of NT$1.63 million, which was deposited into her daughter's bank account and subsequently withdrawn by Yan.

When the daughter discovered the identity fraud, she reported it to the police. Investigations revealed that the perpetrator was her own mother. The court found Yan guilty of illegally using personal data, a charge carrying a sentence of six months for one offense and five months for another, totaling nine months imprisonment, or a fine in lieu of jail time. Yan appealed the sentence, claiming her actions were influenced by her father's death, depression, and impulsive spending, and requested a lighter sentence.

However, the court dismissed her appeal, noting her prior convictions for fraud and forgery. The judges ruled that her actions constituted a repeat offense within five years, leading to an aggravated sentence. Despite her confession, the court upheld the original sentence, finding no grounds to reduce it.

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The court found Yan guilty of illegally using personal data, a charge carrying a sentence of six months for one offense and five months for another, totaling nine months imprisonment, or a fine in lieu of jail time.