In a new twist on online fraud, scammers are no longer just posing as sellers to trick consumers; they have adopted a new tactic of "impersonating buyers to deceive sellers" through fake third-party payment websites. To combat this growing threat, the the Ministry of Digital Affairs (moda) announced a joint effort with 13 third-party payment providers on July 4. At a press conference, "Public-Private Cooperation to Thwart Counterfeit Websites," the government and private sector demonstrated a unified front to fight fraud, vowing to boost public protections through proactive scanning and swift reporting.

According to the moda, scammers often pose as buyers on shopping websites and request that sellers use a well-known payment platform for transactions. They then send the seller a link to a fraudulent website. Once on the fake site, sellers are directed to contact counterfeit customer service, join fake LINE accounts, or even undergo voice verifications and online banking operations, which can lead to stolen accounts or personal data leaks. 

To prevent such incidents, the moda and the third-party payment service industry have launched a two-pronged strategy:

1. Proactive scanning/swift takedown: Companies regularly scan the web and report the fraudulent websites to the moda. The Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC) uses a Response Policy Zone (RPZ) mechanism to block fraudulent URLs.

2. Prominent warnings/enhanced alerts: Companies add warnings to their websites and provide verification tools.

Participants in today's event included representatives from the National Institute of Cyber Security and 5 third-party payment companies—ECPay, Neweb Tech, Sun Tech, PAYUNi, LINE PAY. They all supported the initiative, along with other firms such as MacroWell Tech, Oen Tech, Momo, Pi Wallet, C-Pass, TapPay, PayNow, ACpay, etc. 

The moda emphasized that it would continue to promote this collaborative defense mechanism with third-party payment service providers to build a more secure digital environment, and reminded the public to remember "Two Nos, One Check": Don't click suspicious links, don't use non-official customer service, and check official contact info on the moda website.