Taiwan Court Orders Scam Courier to Repay $235,000 to Victim

A single father in Nantou, who repeatedly engaged in scamming activities as a courier and collector, has been ordered by the Nantou District Court to repay 7.55 million New Taiwan dollars (approximately $235,000 USD) to a woman he defrauded.

The man, identified by the surname Li, was already serving a prison sentence for a previous conviction involving fraud. Despite his prior arrests and ongoing labor service, he resumed his role in a scamming group, collecting cash from victims through face-to-face meetings. Within a two-to-three-week period, Li and three other members of the group caused losses totaling 18.55 million New Taiwan dollars to several victims.

In this specific case, the victim, identified by the surname Lin, handed over 5.55 million New Taiwan dollars to Li in late May and another 2 million New Taiwan dollars in early June. She only realized she had been scammed after the transactions were completed. Lin subsequently filed a civil lawsuit seeking full compensation.

During the civil trial, Li admitted to the victim's claim but cited his status as a single father supporting a 13-year-old daughter and his current imprisonment as reasons for his inability to pay. The court rejected his defense, ruling that his actions constituted an infringement and ordering him to pay the full amount of 7.55 million New Taiwan dollars, plus interest at an annual rate of 5% until the debt is cleared. The court also granted a provisional seizure of his assets.