PETALING JAYA: Young Chinese Malaysians have been a target of Taiwanese scam syndicates recruiting them to collect cash, offering good salaries, paid accommodation, lodging and air tickets since 2023.

Responding to job advertisements posted on social media, these youngsters are willing to travel to Taiwan for such jobs with RM5,000 promised for each completed task working as runners or customer service representatives while being able to visit Taiwan at the same time.

Most of them speak Mandarin, meaning they do not have any communication problem in Taiwan, while the 30-day visa allows them to remain in Taiwan for a short stay where they can leave right after their jobs are done, making it difficult for the police in Taiwan to trace them.

Even if they are arrested by the police, the penalty is lenient with a maximum jail term of two years without whipping, said Pahang State Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker and Bilut Assemblyman Lee Chin Chen, who is assisting eight people arrested in Taiwan.

“Those who seek help are young Malaysians below 30 years of age. I have one that is only 18 years old!

“In many cases, these youngsters take up the jobs as they are unable to find jobs with good salaries here,” he continued.

Many are unaware that they are on the wrong side of the law until they are caught red-handed by the police in Taiwan, he added.

For those aware of the scam syndicates, Lee said they are in to make quick money.

“Imagine earning RM5,000 for collecting cash from a person. You can earn RM50,000 for 10 collections.

“To these syndicates, RM5,000 is small money. But they rake in huge profits in just one case!” Lee said.

As Malaysia and Taiwan do not have mutual extradition agreement, arrested Malaysians have to serve the jail sentence in Taiwan and their imprisonment would not be known in Malaysia, he said.

“The family will just treat it as if they are away working in Taiwan for few months,” he said.

Unlike Malaysians who are trapped in Cambodia or Myanmar where they could be beaten up, confined or even face death threats, they see the jobs in Taiwan relatively less risky, he explained.

Cases of Malaysians being duped to work as runners collecting cash for illegal syndicates were exposed after internet celebrity Ady Hu was arrested in Taiwan while his parents lodged a missing-person report back in Malaysia when they failed to reach him last December.

He was arrested by the Taiwanese police after a woman lodged a police report claiming that she was cheated by an online investment scam.

Hu had been tasked to collect cash from the woman, and he was arrested by the police on the spot.

Hu was subsequently charged in court on 13 February. He was sentenced to six months in jail and would be deported after serving his jail term.

Another Malaysian identified as Xiao Ma told Sin Chew Daily in an overseas phone call that if the salary was so attractive, the Taiwanese would have taken up such jobs.

Xiao Ma, 30, was not aware that he was working for a scam syndicate. He said the money he collected for the syndicate was the hard-earned money of senior citizens, as he had collected the money from three old men.

Xiao Ma’s business was not doing well when he spotted a recruitment ad on Facebook last August.

He was given an interview via Telegram after clicking on the advertisement.

“My salary was RM7,000 and it would not be easy to find a job in Malaysia with such salary,” he said.

He left for Taiwan in September and received instruction from the company through Telegram app.

Xiao Ma was arrested on his third collection after a victim handed over NT$260,000 (RM35,200) to him.

Monitoring the collection process, the syndicate deleted all information on the Telegram app after Xiao Ma’s arrest.

“Please do not believe in making big money fast overseas. It is not worth the risk,” he advised.

MCA Public Services and Complaints Department Chief Datuk Seri Michael Chong said based on the information he received from Taiwan, at least 2,000 Malaysians work as runners in Taiwan but only 10 per cent have been arrested.

About 195 Malaysians have so far been arrested, charged and sent to jail, Chong said, adding that many of them are aged between 18 and 35.

Some of them have no friends in Taiwan and have to rely on non-governmental organisations for support as they are barred from leaving Taiwan pending trial.