Pingtung Police Bust Cloud Money Room, Seize 146 Million in Virtual Currency; Announce Anti-Fraud Campaign with Boxing National Athletes for a 'Knockout'

Pingtung police have successfully dismantled a sophisticated virtual currency money laundering ring, seizing approximately 146 million New Taiwan dollars (NTD) in illicit funds. The operation, which involved a "cloud money room" for laundering, was the result of a 16-month intensive investigation by the Pingtung County Police Bureau.

The criminal group, led by a suspect surnamed Wu, employed a common "installment payment cancellation" scam to trick over 100 victims. After receiving the fraudulent payments, core members of the group converted the stolen money into millions of Tether (USDT) stablecoins, attempting to launder the funds through 267 separate transactions.

In a press conference themed "Heavy Punches Against Fraud, Knockout Blow to Scammers," police highlighted their determination to combat fraud. They invited local boxing national athletes Lai Chu-en and Chong Wen, along with the Li-gang Junior High School boxing team, to serve as anti-fraud ambassadors. The event featured a boxing demonstration and the launch of a "Fraud-Fighting Six-Panel Challenge" game to educate young students about common scam tactics like online shopping fraud, fake investments, and romance scams.

County Police Bureau Chief Gan Yan-ming reported significant progress in Pingtung's anti-fraud efforts. Compared to the latter half of last year, reported fraud cases decreased by 19.2% in the first half of this year, with financial losses dropping by 31.9%, saving citizens approximately 279 million NTD. Police have arrested 437 suspects in 49 fraud cases and successfully intercepted 117 million NTD in potential losses through cooperation with financial institutions.