A revised regulation, with the ‘Computer Network Content Classification Management Measures’, must now show the mandatory age ratings of content on the homepage or the relevant restricted pages in accordance with the Sex/Violence Age Rating Rules set by the Taiwan Internet Content Rating Foundation (TICRF). Go to the TICRF’s website at http://www.ticrf.org.tw In one of the romance scams, a 46-year-old woman surnamed Qiu was tricked by a LINE chat into giving her postal bank account details by an imposter who claimed he was the local celebrity Xie Chengjun. She had believed she was in a relationship with this celebrity. The court ruled her not guilty on the grounds that there was no intent of fraud or money laundering because she had been truly deceived.
Several others were also tricked into transferring large sums into Qiu’s account before she realised she was a victim of a scam when she found that her account had been flagged. In the meantime, however, she had been the victim of sophisticated emotional manipulation, at one point even referring to the imposter as ‘husband’. She had been calling the scammer ‘my love’ and ‘dear wife’. ‘It is not uncommon to form relationships online,’ noted the Yilan District Court. ‘Moreover, the defendant’s previous criminal record is blank and the evidence shows she did not really know [the scammer’s true identity]. It is fair to conclude that the money transfer was out of her conscious control.’ She was thus acquitted. Prosecutors appealed the decision, arguing that the verdict ‘violated the will of society’.
Xie Chengjun has allegedly been impersonated numerous times for similar scams, remarking that the level of bravado in such fraud ploys is alarming, and advising fans to beware. Additional reminders about fraud prevention and the governmental hotlines are provided to help the masses protect against such trickery.
Source: Liberty Times Net
