Police Captain Lin Cheng-wei honored for innovative anti-fraud video campaigns

Lin Cheng-wei, head of the economic division of the police department, has been recognized with both the Golden Shield Award for crime prevention and the Taipei Model Civil Servant award for revolutionizing police public relations. He achieved this by transforming conventional, often stiff, public service announcements into dynamic short videos that effectively capture public attention.

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It's better to make the promotion itself 'good-looking' than to let people ignore anti-fraud information.

Lin's innovative strategy involves collaborating with photogenic young officers, social media influencers, and sports stars. These engaging videos use storytelling to seamlessly integrate crucial anti-fraud tips and legal knowledge, making complex information accessible and memorable. This approach has proven so successful that it has inspired police departments across Taiwan to adopt similar methods, creating a nationwide trend toward more vibrant and effective public outreach.

His motivation stems from witnessing the devastating impact of fraud firsthand. Lin recalls an elderly person losing their life savings and feeling too ashamed to tell their family. This empathy fueled his belief that proactive crime prevention, rather than just post-incident investigation, is paramount. His efforts extend beyond content creation; he spearheaded the establishment of an AI system to automatically detect fraudulent advertisements, integrating various city departments to streamline the process from evidence collection to penalties.

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The best crime prevention is not to vigorously investigate after a case occurs, but to strive from the source so that everyone does not become the next victim.

Under his leadership, Taipei has seen tangible results. In 2025, the city successfully removed nearly 30,000 fraudulent ads and issued a NT$2.5 million fine to Meta Platforms, Inc., making Taipei the only local government to impose such a substantial penalty. Continuing this momentum, over 16,000 fraudulent ads were reported in 2026. Taipei's anti-fraud performance has consistently ranked first among the six major cities for two consecutive years, demonstrating how creativity and systemic reform can create a powerful shield against crime.

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Public sector power can be gentle, and it can also be firm.