Taiwanese police have broken up a fraud ring that posed as a well-known crime syndicate to recruit members and cheat investors, a win for victims but a sign of how brazen these scams have become.

• A woman in Pingtung lost over a million Taiwan dollars to a fake "gold futures trading" pitch promising fast profits.
• Police traced the money and arrested 16 people, including the 50-year-old ringleader who ran the operation like a business with daily quotas.
• The group traded on the names of the Tiandaomeng and "Sun Alliance" gangs, and even posted recruitment ads on Threads offering a free suit and shoes to young men who had finished military service.
• Roughly 10 victims lost a combined NT$10 million; police seized knives, an air pistol, cash, phones, and the gang's own signboard.

Outlook: The main suspects are in custody and have been charged, while several members who fled abroad are still being hunted.