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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Crime & Justice

Widower Falls for Romance Scam, Nearly Becomes Money Laundering Scapegoat

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A widowed man in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, was tricked into a romance scam, losing money and nearly becoming a scapegoat for a criminal ring.
  • The man, identified as Mr. Xue, fell for a woman named Chen Simin on LINE, who convinced him to hand over his bank card and password.
  • He was duped into paying a $60,000 NTD fee to

A widowed man in Kaohsiung narrowly escaped becoming a scapegoat for a fraud ring after falling victim to a romance scam. Mr. Xue, who has been widowed for years, was contacted on LINE by a woman calling herself Chen Simin in late 2021. She showered him with affectionate messages, leading him to believe he was finding a second chance at love.

Their relationship quickly progressed, with the couple adopting pet names like "husband" and "wife." However, the romance soon soured when Chen Simin, along with an accomplice named "Mr. Zhang," began asking for financial assistance. They claimed the money was needed to "unlock" US dollars for a house purchase. Tragically, Mr. Xue not only gave them his bank card and password but also paid a 60,000 NTD fee out of his own pocket, unaware that his account was being used for money laundering.

I want to have a warm home

— Chen SiminMessages sent by the scammer to the victim, Mr. Xue, to build emotional trust.

The situation escalated when another victim, Ms. Liu, who had been defrauded of 120,000 NTD, discovered the funds had flowed into Mr. Xue's account. She filed a civil lawsuit against him for unjust enrichment. However, a court review of the extensive chat logs between Mr. Xue and "Chen Simin" revealed the depth of his emotional entanglement and his genuine belief in the relationship. The court also acknowledged that Mr. Xue himself had been deceived into paying the fee.

Ultimately, the court ruled that Mr. Xue, deeply ensnared in the emotional trap, lacked the intent to aid in fraud or money laundering. Recognizing him as a victim himself, the court dismissed Ms. Liu's claim, and Mr. Xue was absolved of liability. The case can still be appealed.

Will you be with me?

— Chen SiminMessages sent by the scammer to the victim, Mr. Xue, to build emotional trust.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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