Remember one principle for spotting scams: if an unknown call or text asks you to click a link, add LINE, give an account and password or operate an ATM, always hang up first and then dial the 165 anti-fraud hotline yourself to verify; if the other side says "don't hang up, I'll transfer you straight to 165," it is a scam. Government agency texts are identified by the short code "111". If you have already sent money or handed over account details, call 165 or 110 immediately and report to the police. What follows organizes the identification points published by the 165 anti-fraud website of the National Police Agency (內政部警政署) under the Ministry of the Interior, the criminal investigation bureau (刑事警察局) and Chunghwa Post (中華郵政).
Note: The criminal investigation bureau says the police do not take statements by video call, and courts do not notify you about "supervised accounts" (監管帳戶); calls that say they need to "verify your identity," or say your "ID has been misused" (證件遭冒用), your "account is involved in money laundering" (帳戶涉洗錢), "the investigation is confidential" (偵查不公開), or that they will "transfer you to 165 or the district prosecutors office" all contain scam keywords. Scam methods change often; rely on the latest announcements of the 165 anti-fraud website and the 165 anti-fraud dashboard.
How to tell scam texts
| What to look at | What identifies it | Source |
|---|
| Sending number | Government agency texts are identified by the short code "111"; numbers starting with 123, 935 or 888 are short codes reserved for telecom carriers | 165 anti-fraud website, "How to identify scam phishing texts" |
| Type of text | Texts labeled iMessage or RCS have a high chance of being scams, so pay extra attention to the content | Same as above |
| Links | Be careful to verify any text with an unknown link: do not click it, do not add LINE, and do not enter credit-card or personal information | Same as above |
| Water and electricity bill reminders | Taiwan Water Corporation and Taipower reminder texts are sent from "111" and never include a shortened URL; be alert to unknown numbers or international codes such as +63 | 165 anti-fraud website, "Can't tell whether a payment text is real?" |
| Web addresses | Official government website addresses end in "gov.tw" | 165 anti-fraud website, "How to identify scam emails?" |
| Fake post office texts | For example, "Your post office account was operated incorrectly and is locked, and your certificate has expired"; the post office urges people not to click links and to check first whether the domain is post.gov.tw | Chunghwa Post anti-fraud section |
To verify a water or electricity bill reminder, you can call the service office number on the bill, or Taiwan Water Corporation at 1910 or Taipower at 1911 (a reminder from the criminal investigation bureau published on the 165 anti-fraud website). For quote traps in renovation and plumbing and electrical work, see also Plumbing and electrical work scam traps.
How to tell scam calls: listen, hang up, verify
- Impersonating 165 or a bank: in a case published by the National Police Agency on November 24, 2024, a scam ring posing as a bank said you had sent money to a flagged account and told you not to hang up and to press 165 during the call to verify, when in fact the call was being transferred to an accomplice. The criminal investigation bureau reminds people to follow the principle of "listen, hang up, verify" (一聽、二掛、三查證): hang up first, then verify.
- Fake prosecutors and police: an analysis published by the criminal investigation bureau on August 22, 2025 says that in the first half of 2025 there were 2,713 "fake prosecutor and police scams," and household registration offices (戶政事務所) were the most-impersonated organizations. If you hear "your ID has been misused" (證件遭冒用), "the investigation is confidential" (偵查不公開), "your account is involved in money laundering" (帳戶涉洗錢), "add LINE and report in at set times" (加 LINE 定時回報), "supervised account" (監管帳戶) or "pay a notarization deposit" (繳交公證金), or an offer to transfer you to 165, a bank specialist, the district prosecutors office or a court, it is a scam.
- Impersonating a post office supervisor, "your account has been frozen": Chunghwa Post announced that people have posed as post office supervisors, saying your ID has been misused, to trick you into giving ID documents and account details; some scam rings first report your bank card lost in your name, then pose as prosecutors and police to say "your account has been frozen by the post office." If your bank card suddenly stops working, call the postal customer service line 0800-700-365 (from a mobile phone, 04-2354-2030) or 165, or go to a post office counter to confirm.
- Fake pickup notices and fake "delivery problems": scam rings pose as the post office and send a notice, or use LINE to say there is a "delivery problem," and ask you to call a "postal officer" on a mobile number or scan a QR code, using the chance to steal personal data; a real notice slip lists only a post office landline number. For how to tell the difference, see How to collect mail with a pickup notice.
For what 110, 119, 112 and 165 are each used for and how to report, see What is the difference between 110, 119, 112, 113 and 165; this article does not repeat it.
Common scam methods
| Method | Common situation | Source |
|---|
| Online shopping, "cancel the installment payment" | The 165 "six common fraud methods" list online shopping scams and "cancel the installment payment" scams | 165 "six common fraud methods" |
| Fake investments | A "teacher" in a group recommends an app, claims insider trading that must be kept secret, or lets you withdraw a small amount first and then asks you to put in more | 165 "How to check whether an investment website or app is a scam" |
| Online dating, "guess who I am" | Someone poses as a relative or friend to borrow money, and may follow up with a second scam posing as prosecutors and police | 165 "six common fraud methods"; Ministry of the Interior news of 2024-11-24 |
| Fake buyer | Says "I can't place the order, the order is frozen," sends a fake customer service link, and asks for your bank account number or a photo of your bank card for "order verification" | 165 "Met a scam while shopping online?" |
| Fake seller | Extremely low price, urgent sale, asks you to add LINE or leave the platform for a private deal, and to pay first | Same as above |
| Fake customer service | Poses as the customer service of a shopping platform or convenience store, and asks you to click a link, install an app or give your account and password | Same as above |
| Fake payment screenshot | Sends a "transfer successful" screenshot to hurry you to ship, or says the wrong amount was transferred and asks you to refund the difference | Same as above |
You can compare the return rules of a legitimate platform against How the 7-day online shopping return period works; if customer service says it needs to "cancel a wrong order" and asks you to make a transfer, that is a scam script.
How to verify: the 165 hotline and online tools
- Dial 165 yourself: the 165 anti-fraud website explains that for scam inquiries, tip-offs and reports you can call the 165 anti-fraud hotline or go to a police agency (a precinct or substation). You must hang up and dial yourself; do not let the other side transfer you.
- Check a web address with the 165 anti-fraud LINE@: copy and paste a suspicious web address into the 165 anti-fraud LINE@ account to see whether there is a "suspected fraud website report record." Note: the 165 anti-fraud website explained in July 2025 that the lists of "fraud-linked LINE IDs" and "fraud-linked phone numbers" the criminal investigation bureau used to publish have stopped being published or searchable, because with the fraud crime harm prevention act (詐欺犯罪危害防制條例) in force the police can send requests straight to providers to suspend accounts; so finding no record does not mean it is safe.
- "Suspicious message analysis" in the police service app: when you receive a suspected scam message or are not sure whether an investment website is fake, this function lets you ask 165 hotline staff.
- The 165 anti-fraud dashboard: a dedicated site built by the criminal investigation bureau with fraud case statistics and the latest cases, which you can use to check the situation you are facing; the delisting notice for that dataset on the government open data platform also says you can enter a keyword or LINE ID on the dashboard to look up related cases.
- Investment platforms: check the list of securities, futures and investment trust and advisory firms approved by the financial regulator (金管會), and its warning section on "securities and futures firms and products not approved by the financial regulator."
What to do if you were scammed
- Call 165 or 110 for help right away, and report to a police agency. Both the Ministry of the Interior press release and the 165 anti-fraud website advise this. Bring the transfer receipt, the other party's account number, screenshots of the conversation and call records.
- The other side's mule account (人頭帳戶) will be flagged: under the measures governing deposit accounts and suspected illegal or clearly abnormal transactions (存款帳戶及其疑似不法或顯屬異常交易管理辦法, "the account measures" below), a flagged ("warning") account (警示帳戶) is an account that a court, prosecutors office or judicial police agency has notified the bank to list as flagged for the investigation of a criminal case (Article 3); when the bank receives the notice it must suspend all transaction functions of the account, and money transferred in is returned to the sender (Article 5). This is notified by the police; it cannot be done just by the victim calling the bank.
- If you receive a scam parcel with cash on delivery at a convenience store: the 165 anti-fraud website lists the dispute-parcel complaint channels of 7-ELEVEN, FamilyMart, Hi-Life and OK mart, or you can contact the courier company directly to request a return and refund.
- Other help: for counseling, call the Ministry of Health and Welfare 1925 hotline; for social assistance, the 1957 welfare consultation line; for legal aid, the Legal Aid Foundation at 412-8518, ext. 2 (165 anti-fraud website, "What to do if you were scammed?").
The other way around, if your own account is flagged: the flag period is counted from the time of notification and expires automatically after 2 years; if the original notifying agency thinks it necessary, it can notify again before expiry to extend it, limited to one extension of one year (Article 9 of the account measures). If you have doubts about the flag, contact the original notifying agency. The 165 anti-fraud website explains that, apart from automatic release at the end of the flag period, you must fill in the "application form for releasing a flagged account by the public" (民眾解除警示帳戶申請書) in two copies and go in person to the competent police agency with the relevant documents.
The following is this article's suggestion, not an official rule: if you accidentally clicked a link and entered credit-card details, first call the card-issuing bank to cancel the card or stop payment, then call 165; do not believe anyone who claims they can "recover the money you lost," because the 165 anti-fraud website warns that this is a second-scam script.
FAQ
The caller says they will transfer me to 165 to verify. Can I trust that?
No. The National Police Agency explains that a call that asks you not to end the call and to dial 165 directly is a scam call: hang up immediately, then dial 165 yourself.
How do I know whether a text is from the government?
The 165 anti-fraud website explains that government texts are identified by the short code "111", and numbers starting with 123, 935 or 888 are telecom carrier short codes; Taiwan Water Corporation and Taipower reminder texts are also sent from 111 and carry no shortened URL.
Can I look up online whether a phone number is a scam number?
The 165 anti-fraud website explains that the lists of fraud-linked phone numbers and LINE IDs the criminal investigation bureau used to publish have stopped being published or searchable. Now you can look up related cases on the 165 anti-fraud dashboard by keyword or LINE ID, ask through "suspicious message analysis" in the police service app, or call 165 directly; a suspicious web address can be pasted into the 165 anti-fraud LINE@ to check for report records. Finding no record does not mean it is safe.
After sending money to a scammer, can I get it back?
It depends on whether the money is still in the other party's account. Call 165 or 110 right away and report; the police notify the bank to flag the other party's account, all its transaction functions are suspended, and money transferred in afterward is returned to the sending bank. For accounts flagged by notices made from April 1, 2025 onward, the money remaining in the account is handled under the rules that financial institutions and virtual-asset service providers must follow to prevent fraud harm (金融機構及提供虛擬資產服務之事業或人員防制詐欺犯罪危害應遵循事項辦法) (Article 11 of the account measures); what actually applies is the notice from the police and the bank.
What if my account is flagged?
The flag period is 2 years and expires automatically at the end; the original notifying agency can extend it once, by one year. If you have doubts, contact the original notifying agency; to apply for release, fill in the "application form for releasing a flagged account by the public" in two copies and go in person to the competent police agency.
Last updated: 2026-11-01
This article is compiled by SOSfix editors from public information and is for general reference only; for your own case, contact the 165 anti-fraud hotline, 110 or the police agency near your home.
Sources
- National Police Agency (內政部警政署) 165 anti-fraud website: How to identify scam phishing texts (published 2024-06-27, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): the 111 government short code, 123/935/888 telecom short codes, iMessage and RCS, do not click links.
- 165 anti-fraud website: Can't tell whether a payment text is real? The only authenticated sending code for Taiwan Water Corporation and Taipower texts is "111" (published 2024-06-28, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): Taiwan Water Corporation and Taipower texts sent from 111, no shortened URL, 1910, 1911, +63 international code.
- 165 anti-fraud website: How to identify scam emails? (published 2025-09-10, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): official websites end in gov.tw.
- 165 anti-fraud website: criminal investigation bureau publishes analysis of "fake prosecutor and police scam" cases in the first half of 2025 (published 2025-08-22, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): 2,713 cases, household registration offices most impersonated, fake prosecutor and police keywords, the police do not take statements by video, courts do not notify about supervised accounts, the 165 anti-fraud dashboard.
- Ministry of the Interior: Dialing 165 during the call? Beware of scam rings posing as police (published 2024-11-24, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): posing as a bank to claim money was sent to a flagged account, asking you to press 165 directly, "listen, hang up, verify," call 165 or 110 if scammed.
- Chunghwa Post (中華郵政): anti-fraud section (checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): fake post office texts, posing as post office supervisors, fake prosecutors and police after a fake loss report, fake pickup notice slips, customer service numbers.
- 165 anti-fraud website: six common fraud methods (published 2023-07-27, updated 2025-05-05, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): online shopping, fake investments, cancelling installment payments, online dating, "guess who I am," fake prosecutors and police.
- 165 anti-fraud website: Met a scam while shopping online? Social-media buying and selling scams explained (published 2025-07-28, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): fake buyers, fake sellers, fake customer service, payment screenshots.
- 165 anti-fraud website: How to check whether an investment website or app you use is a scam? (published 2024-10-24, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): the financial regulator's list, the warning section, fake investment scripts.
- 165 anti-fraud website: Using the 165 anti-fraud LINE@ account to check report records of fraud-linked web addresses (published 2025-07-04, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): lookups of fraud-linked LINE IDs and phone numbers cancelled, LINE@ web address check.
- Government open data platform (政府資料開放平臺): 165 anti-fraud hotline, fraud LINE IDs (provided by the National Police Agency; the delisting notice is the 165 hotline's explanation from the criminal investigation bureau; delisted; metadata updated 2025-07-01, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): why the dataset was delisted, and that you can use the 165 anti-fraud dashboard to look up related cases by keyword or LINE ID.
- 165 anti-fraud website: introduction to the "suspicious message analysis" function of the police service app (published 2023-11-07, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): asking 165 hotline staff about suspicious messages.
- 165 anti-fraud website: What to do if you were scammed? How to get help? (published 2024-08-19, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): call 165 or go to a police agency, 1925, 1957, Legal Aid Foundation 412-8518 ext. 2.
- 165 anti-fraud website: What to do if you receive a scam parcel with cash on delivery at a convenience store? (updated 2026-06-18, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): return and refund channels for dispute parcels at each convenience store and courier company.
- 165 anti-fraud website: How to release a flagged account? (published 2024-08-01, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): the application form for releasing a flagged account in two copies, in person at the competent police agency.
- National laws and regulations database (全國法規資料庫): the measures governing deposit accounts and suspected illegal or clearly abnormal transactions, amended August 31, 2026 (checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): Article 3 definition of a flagged account, Article 5 suspending all transactions and returning transfers, Article 9 the 2-year flag and one extension of one year, doubts go to the original notifying agency, Article 11 release of remaining funds (for notices from April 1, 2025 onward, under the rules to prevent fraud harm).
- 165 anti-fraud website: Claims that lost money can be recovered? They are all second-scam scripts! (published 2024-01-12, checked 2026-11-01) (in Chinese): offers to recover lost money for you are a second scam.
Related reading: Taiwan Freeway ETC Toll Rates: Free 20 km & Long-Distance · Unpaid Taiwan Freeway Tolls: NT$50 Fee and NT$300 Fines · Taiwan Cash Carry Limits and Customs Declaration Thresholds · Taiwan Deposit Insurance: NT$3 Million Bank Coverage Guide · Credit Card Fraud in Taiwan: Freezing Cards and Disputes · Taiwan Alert Accounts: 2-Year Limit, Release, Mule Penalties
