TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s online scam reporting platform has received more than 1 million reports since its launch, with authorities removing over 500,000 fraudulent messages, Digital Affairs Minister Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) said Friday.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs said the Fraud Reporting and Inquiry Platform has received 1,105,170 reports since its launch on Sept. 30, 2024, per Liberty Times. Of those, 542,082 were confirmed as scams, with authorities removing more than 20,000 fraudulent messages each month to curb their spread.
Lin explained that fraud syndicates are using AI and other emerging technologies to create fake content, outpacing traditional administrative procedures, per CNA. He said the ministry has, in response, adopted AI-powered tools to speed up removals.
Lin said the platform’s efficiency has reduced the average cost of removing a fraudulent message to about NT$111 (US$3), with the figure expected to decline as operating costs are spread across cases.
The ministry’s Administration for Digital Industries said its scam detection system has also reduced fraudulent online advertisements. By the end of June, high-risk investment scam ads had fallen 99% from their 2024 weekly peak, while identity impersonation scam ads dropped 98%.
Lin said fighting online fraud requires continued cooperation between the government, industry and the public. Under the ministry’s guidance, Taiwan’s three major advertising associations have formed the Digital Ad Trust Alliance, bringing together nearly 300 companies to share anti-fraud intelligence, per CNA.
