A Taipei Main Station laptop sighting that turned out to be a stock-trading course has become a fight over how alert Taiwanese should be to Chinese spies — bad news for anyone worried about witch hunts, but officials say the caution is warranted.

• A man was filmed holding a laptop showing simplified Chinese text about a "2nd war zone" system, and a DPP lawmaker called for a national security probe.
• Police found the screen was just a login page for an online investing course, prompting accusations of paranoia.
• Taiwan's mainland affairs office defended public vigilance, saying the old warning that "spies are next to you" now fits the real caseload.
• Recent cases include a TV reporter paid to shape news coverage, a health ministry researcher who spied for a tiny sum, and aides to cabinet ministers and county chiefs from across party lines.

Outlook: Expect more public tip-offs and false alarms in Taiwan as spy prosecutions keep climbing, with officials walking a line between vigilance and overreach.