TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Mobile will recall its Amazing A32 mobile phones and fit them with an upgraded security system after the National Communications Commission (NCC) warned Wednesday (Jan. 6) they had been used in scams.

The phones, manufactured in China, included a malware program that allowed gang members to use the phone numbers to register for game sites, the Liberty Times reported. Dozens of elderly Amazing A32 users fell prey to the scheme, being questioned by police about scams they apparently knew nothing of.

As the Criminal Investigation Bureau found so many similar cases involving the same type of phone, it alerted the NCC to the possibility of problems with the devices. The investigation found that none of the elderly users knew how to play the relevant games, and most had not even downloaded the required software on their phones.

When the gaming company sent a message to the phones, it would automatically be received by the scammers and immediately deleted, so most of the victims were completely unaware that their phones had been misused, the Liberty Times reported.

Taiwan Mobile announced it would cooperate with the manufacturer, Ak-Tek International Co., Ltd. (力平國際公司), to upgrade the phones’ security systems. Owners may either download the new software or visit a Taiwan Mobile Myfone outlet to ask for assistance beginning Jan. 8, CNA reported. According to data from the NCC, an estimated 7,600 people own an Amazing A32.