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Yating Yang

A son in Taiwan devised an ingenious plan and played three different roles to save his father from a cash swindling gang.
He successfully lured the racketeers into believing they would receive further investments, ultimately helping to recover NT$700,000 (US$21,000) after his father had lost the money to the gang.
The racket was first disclosed in an online post by the victim’s son and was subsequently reported by Taiwan EBC News on December 17.
The report revealed that the father, from Nantou county, in central Taiwan, had fallen victim to an online investment scam.
After adding the scammer online who posed as a woman and used constant flattery, he was persuaded to invest NT$700,000.
Not only did the scammer personally collect the money, but they also convinced the father to install an unknown app on his phone.

Details about the father and son, including their names and ages, have not been disclosed.
“The scam group called my father ‘Dad’, continually asking, ‘How have you been? Did you have dinner tonight? How was your sleep?’.
“They constantly enquired about his health,” the son told Taiwan EBC News.
The app indicated that the total investment had risen to NT$1.3 million (US$40,000), and showed profits of over NT$600,000.
While the father was eager to withdraw his profits, the scammer insisted that “you need to reach a certain amount before you can withdraw”.
The son became suspicious after his father complained about the situation.
“After my dad shared his ordeal, I went home and started watching anti-scam videos on YouTube. I came across one where the YouTuber mentioned, ‘You need a bait bigger than the one you’ve lost to have any chance of retrieving your money.’
“Inspired by that, I decided to take a similar strategy using my dad’s phone to reconnect with the scammer,” the son said.
He told the scammers that two of his friends, impressed by his profits, were eager to invest NT$500,000 and NT$1 million, respectively.
He also inquired about when they could come to collect the money from his home.
As the conversation progressed smoothly, he strategically shifted gears by expressing an urgent need for funds due to family matters, requesting to withdraw NT$700,000 from the purported profits.

Initially, the scam group was hesitant, but the son engaged them in hours of convincing, even playing three roles, which included the two interested “investors”, and seriously inquiring about the investment details.
Finally, sensing the lucrative opportunity, the scam group, driven by the prospect of securing a larger sum, agreed to give back the NT$700,000.
Even after returning NT$700,000 to the victim, the scammers persisted with their scheme, claiming that the app now showed a profit of NT$2.35 million (US$72,000) but required a tax payment of 5 to 10 per cent before he could withdraw any funds.
This time, however, the father did not fall for it.
The son’s ingenuity has elicited widespread praise and amusement online.
One online observer said: “This is real anti-fraud work.”
While another added: “Scam your scam! Now it is the scam group’s turn to call the police.”


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Ingenious son devises plan involving him playing multiple roles to thwart scammers, retrieves money they took from his father


Ingenious son devises plan involving him playing multiple roles to thwart scammers, retrieves money they took from his father.


Scams and swindles