TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Books.com.tw, Carousell, Shopee, Eslite Bookstore, and Decathlon are the top five ecommerce platforms on which customers were most likely to fall victim to fraud in Taiwan in 2022.

That’s according to an information release from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) published on Saturday (Jan. 28).

Criminals were said to defraud customers by hacking the companies' databases and stealing consumer information. They then use this information to pose as a representative of the store the customer has made a purchase from, asking them to make further payments online or at an ATM for an already purchased good.

The CIB added that 2022 saw an increase in fraud committed through auction websites where individuals can list their goods for sale. The criminals pose both as buyers and customer service representatives of the website, sending through QR codes or other links that defraud unsuspecting users out of their money.

For stores with more than five separate information leaks per week, the CIB requires operators to conduct a self-assessment of their security practices and places an official notice on their website. They will also investigate cases as information becomes available, according to the statement.

The CIB encourages consumers to be vigilant, and reminds people that if they receive calls from numbers with a “+” sign (particularly “+02” and “+886”,) or if they hear the words “解除分期付款設定 (cancellation of repeat payments)” “重複扣款 (repeat deduction),” or “升級VIP (upgrade to VIP)” they should hang up immediately and call the CIB’s anti-fraud hotline on 165.