TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Railway is investigating a suspected fraud involving a counterfeit EasyCard used to obtain ticket refunds, with preliminary losses exceeding NT$12,000 (US$411).

The agency said it received a report from Taipei Main Station on Wednesday after staff noticed irregularities in multiple refund transactions. Upon reviewing records, employees flagged two suspicious refunds made on July 6 totaling NT$3,366, followed by three more on July 9 amounting to NT$9,585, according to CNA.

The EasyCard is a multifunctional electronic ticketing system that integrates payments for the metro, buses, parking lots, and designated partner services. It is widely accepted nationwide for public transportation, at convenience stores, supermarkets, gas stations, and other retailers, according to EasyCard.

Each EasyCard has a unique 16-digit card number. The case came to light after a ticket clerk noticed that a card number used for a refund had already been processed.

Taiwan Railway has referred the case to the Railway Police Bureau and instructed all stations to strengthen preventive measures. Officials said efforts are underway to identify and locate the suspect, who is believed to have used forged EasyCards repeatedly to obtain cash refunds at ticket counters.

The case resembles a previous incident in which a high school student allegedly manipulated EasyCard chip data to fraudulently obtain approximately NT$600,000.