Internationally Recognized Fraud Haven in Taiwan: Greek Police Bust Telecom Crime Ring with 120 Taiwanese Members

This article reports on a July 2016 incident where Greek police dismantled a major telecom gambling fraud ring consisting of over 120 Taiwanese members, setting a record for the largest single-nation criminal group bust. Then-Justice Minister Lo Ying-hsue admitted to legislators that 'Taiwan is the source of fraud rings,' expressing shame and responsibility. Legislators and officials discussed Taiwan's lenient sentencing of fraud perpetrators damaging international image, and jurisdiction disputes regarding Malaysia's extradition of Taiwanese suspects to China. Lo emphasized bilateral cooperation in combating crime, stating the fundamental solution requires education. Activist Miao Po-ya questioned whether certain officials were aligning with China's narrative to create the impression that 'Taiwan is a fraud haven,' viewing it as generating public panic to facilitate governance.