活動快報

內容：

▎Preventing dummy accounts

Beware! Dummy accounts are a tool used by scam gangs to collect income made from illegal activities

Case

Ada came to Taiwan to work as an operator in a factory and applied to open a bank account into which his salary was remitted. After six years and before returning to his home country, Ada withdrew all his savings and with only NT$56 left in the account gave the bank passbook, ATM card and password to someone else to use. On January 8, 2020, Ada left Taiwan and returned home.

After a scam gang member takes control of Ada’s bank account, he tells victim Hsiao-ming to remit money to the account. Knowing nothing of this Ada returns to Taiwan on April 6, 2022 and is immediately indicted and found guilty by a court of aiding and abetting fraud and money laundering.

Analysis

•Members of a scam gang are able to use Ada’s ATM card to withdraw money made from their illegal scams, creating a cash flow breakpoint that makes it difficult if not impossible to trace. Moreover, the fact that Ada withdrew all but NT$56 from his account before leaving Taiwan leads the court to conclude that his behavior constitutes aiding and abetting the fraudulent acquisition of money or goods.

•Anyone who provides a bank account into which fraudulently obtained funds can be remitted is an accomplice to fraud and guilty of aiding and abetting fraud and money laundering in violation of the Money laundering Prevention Act.

Source: Ministry of Justice