Not just remittance fraud! Investment fraud tactics renovated, Google warns of using new technology to set up traps

Google warns that scammers are using new technology to set up scams, and people may lose money if they follow the instructions.

[Reporter Qiu Qiaozhen/Reporting from Taipei] October is "Cyber ​​Security Awareness Month" every year. Google released the latest global fraud trend observation on the 22nd, reminding the public that as fraud techniques continue to evolve, what fraud groups want to steal nowadays is often not just passwords, but people's trust in digital tools.

Google pointed out that investment fraud is still a type of fraud that causes significant financial losses around the world, and related techniques are constantly changing with the development of new technologies. Fraudulent groups often take advantage of people's unfamiliarity with new technologies and attract people with investment plans that appear to have profit opportunities, including fake cryptocurrency airdrops, mining software that advertises easy profits, and automated securities trading robots. Such scams may use teaching content to induce users to copy and paste malicious code. Once the instructions are followed, digital wallets may be exposed to the risk of asset theft.

Google stated that in order to combat false advertising from the source, it has implemented a mandatory advertiser identity verification system. For the Taiwan market, financial-related service advertisers must pass the mandatory "financial services verification" and obtain relevant verification from regulatory agencies such as the Financial Supervisory Commission or the Ministry of Finance before they can publish ads. In addition, Google also uses Gemini technology to analyze the intent of advertising copy to help identify fake celebrities and counterfeit official websites. If the system finds that different advertising accounts belong to the same fraudulent network, it will take suspension measures against the entire group.

In addition to the platform's own protective measures, starting in 2025, Google will begin to cooperate with Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Development, regulatory agencies under the Anti-Fraud Act, and the Criminal Police Department to establish intelligence exchange channels and jointly develop public fraud prevention solutions and related technologies.

In terms of international cooperation, Google co-founded the "Global Information Exchange Platform" (GSE) in 2024 and joined the "Internet Fraud and Fraud Industry Agreement" in March 2026. Google stated that in 2025, more than 8.3 billion illegal advertisements have been removed globally.