The American Institute in Taiwan has shared an advisory[1] that we wanted to pass along to the community, particularly for those of you with elderly American relatives or friends in Taiwan.
The short version: sophisticated online scams — romance scams, financial scams, and increasingly dangerous “mule” schemes — are on the rise, and they are specifically targeting older Americans. AIT reports a noticeable uptick over the past 18 months in cases where victims were persuaded or coerced into traveling from the US to Southeast Asia and then onward to Taiwan as couriers, only to be arrested at the border with drugs in their luggage that they did not know they were carrying. Most of those arrested have been Americans over 50.
Even when scams don’t end in an arrest, they frequently result in devastating financial loss. These are not crude or obvious schemes — scammers invest months or even years building trust before making their move.
[!warning] What to watch for
- Unsolicited contact from strangers online, especially on social media or dating apps
- Requests to receive or deliver packages, transfer funds, or travel abroad on someone else’s behalf
- Romantic relationships that develop unusually quickly and eventually involve requests for money or travel
- A friend or family member who seems evasive about a new online contact or an unexpected trip
If you have concerns about someone you know, or if you or someone else may have been targeted, AIT recommends the following resources:
[!memo] Resources
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) — report internet-based scams
- FTC Identity Theft Reporting Center — identity theft and fraud reporting
- State Department: Scams advisory — official travel warnings
- National Elder Fraud Hotline — 1-833-FRAUD-11
- DOJ Office for Victims of Crime — state-by-state help
- FBI Field Offices and HSI Field Offices — for in-person reporting
For Americans in Taiwan, Taipei ACS (American Citizen Services at AIT) is also a direct point of contact if you or someone you know has been affected. You can reach them through ait.org.tw/services.
Please share this with anyone in your network who might benefit. No need to panic — but awareness is the best protection.
Information sourced from an advisory issued by Timothy K. Riley, AIT. ↩︎