Ady Hu (second from left) in a Taiwanese police sting photo shortly before being detained on alleged fraud. - Photo from Changhua Police, Taiwan
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian influencer Hu Chang Mun, 31, known as Ady Hu, who was reported missing, has been located in Taiwan and detained over allegations of involvement in a fraud operation.
On Dec 11, Hu messaged his friends and family, saying that he was in Taiwan and intended to extend his stay for several more months. Afterwards, he went off the radar, Sin Chew Daily reported.
His anxious family in Bentong, besides lodging a police report, had sought help from Bilut assemblyman Lee Chin Chen in hopes of enlisting the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia to help in locating Hu in Taiwan.
When contacted, Lee confirmed that the office in Malaysia had responded to him at 8.30pm, verifying the news.
In a twist, Taiwan's ETtoday News reported that the Yuanlin Police Substation in Changhua district apprehended a 31-year-old man named Hu, who had visited Taiwan as a tourist but was found to be involved in a scam group.
Upon investigation, it was ascertained that Hu and the apprehended individual were the same person, leading to Hu's subsequent detention.
The fraud incident occurred in December when a middle-aged woman in Changhua joined an online investment platform on social media, lured by the promise of hefty returns.
After two in-person transactions amounting to NT$2.3mil (RM3.2mil), she realised she had been defrauded.
On Dec 11, she made another in-person transaction with the scam group, handing over an additional NT$2mil (RM2.7mil). The police arrested a 31-year-old man named Hu at the scene.
Hu claimed to be a Malaysian influencer visiting Taiwan for a holiday under the visa exemption policy.
He had believed that he could earn money during his trip but was unaware that he had been ensnared in a scam.
Following police questioning, the case was handed over to legal authorities under suspicions of fraud, money laundering, and breaches of banking laws. A request for Hu's detention was subsequently approved.
Reportedly, upon confirming Hu's identity, Taiwanese police promptly informed the Malaysian authorities in Taiwan. Malaysia authorities have yet to comment on the case.
Recently, Taiwanese media reported foreigners getting involved in new scam activities, in a role dubbed a 'driver'. This person is tasked with collecting cash that victims have been deceived into withdrawing from their bank accounts.
The fraud operation typically involves a group that manipulates victims into parting with their money, and the 'driver' is dispatched to physically retrieve this cash from the victims. 'Drivers' typically earn their income through commissions based on the amount of money they collect from these victims.
