Changhua police have busted a fraud ring that placed online ads offering loans and easy work with full room and board and flexible working hours. After luring victims, it kept them detained and forced them to go to banks to open accounts. The police arrested five suspects and rescued four victims.
On March 6, the Changhua police received a report from a bank about abnormal transactions in the account of a customer surnamed He. The police went to the bank to speak with He.
Victim: “I'm being detained by others right now. ”
Police Officer: “Where are you being held? How were you able to get here? ”
Victim: “They called a private car.”
The victim told the police that he had been defrauded by a job ad and his movements were controlled. He was also forced to go to the bank to open a new account. The police investigated and identified an auto repair shop in Changhua City where victims were being held. They raided the shop, and arrested five suspects, including a 23-year-old main suspect surnamed Wang. They also rescued three other victims. The victims said they were detained and then their ID documents were confiscated. The suspects also kept moving them around. There was one victim who had spent 24 days in captivity.
Chang Ming-sheng, Captain, Changhua Precinct, Changhua County PD: “The victim told us he was threatened and the fraud ring detained him. He had to go to the bank to set up accounts for designated transfers.”
The police discovered the fraud ring posted job ads on social media promising loans and easy work with full room and board and vacation. The only job requirement was bringing one's ID documents. Applicants were imprisoned when they came to interview, and drugs were used to control them.
Chang Ming-sheng, Captain, Changhua Precinct, Changhua County PD: “They offered temporary jobs online, which attracted a lot of people. They then controlled their movements.”
The police said the victims were all young people and they are determining if there are more victims. The five suspects are under investigation by prosecutors for fraud, obstruction of freedom, and violations of the Money Laundering Control Act and Organized Crime Prevention Act.
警方6日接獲銀行通報，一名何姓客戶的帳戶有異常金流交易，員警趕到現場了解。
何姓被害人：「我現在被人家控制住。」
警方：「在哪邊?控制在哪邊?你怎麼出來的?」
何姓被害人：「他們有另外叫白牌車。」
何姓被害人向警方供稱，自己遭到求職詐騙，還被暴力控制行動，被逼迫申辦新帳戶。警方循線到彰化市一間汽車修配廠，進行破門攻堅。警方一舉逮捕23歲的汪姓主嫌，以及另外4名嫌犯，現場還發現另外3名被拘禁的被害人，有男有女。被害人指出，被拘禁以後證件被扣住，不斷跟著嫌犯更換地點，其中有人已經被囚禁長達24天。
彰化警分局長張明盛指出：「被害者是說他遭到恐嚇，詐騙集團來私刑拘禁，來到銀行辦理網路約定轉帳。」
警方調查，嫌犯在網路社群打廣告，宣稱可幫忙申請貸款，包吃包住、打工度假等名義，只要攜帶證件就可以輕鬆工作。等到求職者上門就私刑囚禁，還用毒品控制被害人。
彰化警分局長張明盛說明：「打工的名義，在網路上吸引民眾求職，於是再控制他的行動。」
警方表示，被害者都是年輕的8年級生，將追查清查是否有更多被害者。最後將5名嫌犯依涉嫌詐欺、妨害自由、《洗錢防制法》及《組織犯罪防制條例》，移送彰化地檢署偵辦。