A Taiwanese government official responsible for anti-corruption and anti-fraud outreach has himself fallen victim to an investment scam, highlighting how fake investment information on social media platforms can deceive even professionals.

• Hsing Chi-chun, director of the Government Ethics Department of the Yunlin County Government, saw investment information on TikTok last year and joined a fraud ring's LINE group, transferring money and handing over cash in person for a total of NT$1.37 million.
• After realising something was wrong, he reported the case to the police, and prosecutors and police arrested two money mules, who were sentenced to one year and six months and to two years and four months respectively.
• Ironically, government ethics units routinely carry out integrity, anti-corruption and anti-fraud outreach, and he has previously served at the Ministry of National Defense, the High Court and the Agency Against Corruption.
• He said this was negligence on the part of himself and his family, and that he would review the matter and strengthen his knowledge of fraud prevention.

Looking ahead: Fake investment scams continue to circulate on major social media platforms. Anyone with doubts should call the 165 anti-fraud hotline to verify, and particular attention should be paid to the online messages that elderly family members encounter.