TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s justice ministry said Wednesday that reported fraud losses dropped in the first quarter, as officials tied the government’s anti-scam work to a broader push on cross-border financial crime and anti-money laundering standards.
Victims reported 26.9% less in fraud-related financial losses in the first quarter of 2026 than in the same period last year. During the same period, telecom fraud cases were down 9.1%, CNA reported.
Justice Minister Cheng Ming-chien (鄭銘謙) gave the figures at a two-day international forum on cross-border crime, fraud investigations, and mutual legal assistance. The event was organized by the Ministry of Justice, the Executive Yuan’s Anti-Money Laundering Office, and the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office.
Cheng said faster cross-border money flows and the misuse of virtual assets have made traditional investigations harder. He said Taiwan will begin a new national risk assessment covering money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing, while preparing for the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering’s 2030 fifth-round mutual evaluation, according to the report.
Minister without Portfolio Lin Ming-hsin (林明昕) pointed to recent work on asset seizures, victim protection, and cross-agency investigations, including a warning system for suspicious accounts and the Taipei District Prosecutors Office’s Prince Group money laundering case, per the report.
The forum brought together prosecutors, police, financial regulators, investigators, and foreign law enforcement specialists. Cheng said the ministry would continue to combine criminal probes with administrative oversight to improve fraud prevention and help recover stolen funds for victims.
