The Judiciary Police (PJ) have dismantled a cross-border “scam factory”* syndicate that lured locals to Taiwan with the promise of high salaries to engage in telecom fraud, arresting six local members for recruiting at least nine locals to participate in the Taiwan-based fraudulent activities, PJ spokesman Leng Kam Lon said during a special press conference yesterday.
Leng identified the suspects as a 22-year-old male night-school student surnamed Ao Ieong and a 37-year-old male salesperson surnamed Lio, both of whom are the alleged core members of the gang; a 22-year-old man surnamed Lo who claimed to be jobless; a 17-year-old female night-school student surnamed Cheang; a 27-year-old male delivery driver; and a 43-year-old male insurance industry staff member.
According to Tang Kam Wa, chief of the PJ Gaming and Economic Crime Investigation Department, the syndicate began operating in September 2024. Ao Ieong and Lio were recruited by the gang as core members and later worked with four additional local members. They enticed nine locals – eight men and one woman, ranging in age from minors to middle-aged individuals – through social media, offering daily wages ranging between 1,000 and 1,500 patacas to travel to Taiwan for “financial investment” or the “transportation of precious metals”.
Tang noted that the syndicate arranged Taiwan entry permits, purchased air tickets, and booked accommodation for the “participants.” Upon their arrival in Taiwan, the “participants” were met by local members and checked into designated hotels while awaiting instructions. They were then tasked with contacting victims of “investment scams” and collecting cash obtained from the scams, which was later handed over to members of the syndicate.
Tang added that the nine “participants” were arrested by the island’s law enforcement while conducting fraudulent activities. The “participants” received a few thousand to tens of thousands of yuan as illegal “remuneration” for their involvement before being apprehended. Taiwan courts sentenced them to prison terms ranging from three to eight months. Currently, four of them have returned to Macau after serving their sentences from March to August, while the remaining five are still incarcerated in Taiwan.
The police identified the six local members of the syndicate responsible for recruitment and apprehended them separately in various locations, including the northern district, city centre, and the Qingmao Macau-Zhuhai border checkpoint. The police discovered that the sextet were tasked with recruiting “participants,” collecting their identity information to process Taiwan entry permits, and providing information to overseas members for purchasing tickets. The two core members, Ao Ieong and Lio, received illegal “remuneration” amounting to 1.0 percent to 3.0 percent of the total cash fraudulently collected by the “participants” in Taiwan.
The six suspects were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, each facing a charge of being part of a criminal syndicate.
The PJ anti-fraud centre reminded citizens to remain vigilant about online job offers or those recommended by friends, particularly those claiming that no skills, qualifications, or experience are needed for generous pay.
Citizens are advised not to engage in any criminal activities and to avoid participating in illegal acts abroad. They should also refrain from lending out bank accounts or assisting in receiving or transporting funds of unclear origin to prevent being exploited as tools for crime. If suspecting fraud, citizens are encouraged to contact the anti-fraud hotline on 8800 477 or the reporting hotline on 993 for enquiries or to report incidents.
*A scam factory, such as a fake call centre, is an organised criminal enterprise that operates like a normal business, systematically producing and executing a high volume of scams. It is characterised by its scale, organisation, and repetitive, often scripted, methods. – DeepSeek
More on scam centres on page 8
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the six hooded suspects to a PJ van outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday.
– Photo: Ada Lei
