TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Almost nine in ten (86%) Taiwanese citizens demand tougher fraud penalties, according to TVBS Poll Center survey released Thursday (Nov. 14). Cross-analysis shows support for caning as fraud punishment exceeds opposition across all political groups. Seventy percent support caning for fraudsters, with only 19% opposed.
Cross-party consensus emerges on harsh fraud punishment. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨), Taiwan's ruling party, supporters show 66% favor, 24% opposed. Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨), Taiwan's main opposition party, supporters register 74% support, 20% opposition. Taiwan People's Party (TPP) supporters lead with 83% favor, while neutral respondents show 70% support.
More than nine in ten (92%) Taiwanese consider fraud situation serious, with only 4% disagreeing and 4% undecided. Personal fraud exposure affects 82% of population: 26% encounter fraud often, 38% occasionally, 18% rarely. Only 18% report no fraud encounters, indicating scam exposure has become part of daily life.
Government anti-fraud publicity efforts receive mixed reviews: 42% satisfied, 46% dissatisfied, 12% undecided. Dissatisfaction slightly exceeds satisfaction, suggesting public remains unsatisfied with overall fraud combat effectiveness despite visible awareness campaigns.
Taiwan reported nearly 90,000 fraud cases in first half of 2025, causing NT$48 billion (around US$1.5 billion) losses, according to National Police Agency (NPA, 警政署). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC, 聯合國毒品和犯罪問題辦公室) highlighted Taiwan's fraud crisis in April report "Inflection Point." ◼