Taipei (September 14, 2025)- A Filipino migrant worker, identified by the pseudonym Xiaoli, was arrested in Taiwan while in transit to another overseas job after being linked to a fraud syndicate. The Hsinchu District Court sentenced her to four months in prison for aiding money laundering and denied her request for bail.
Court documents revealed that Xiaoli’s legal residency in Taiwan expired on May 8, 2023. Later that year, she handed over her Taiwanese bank account, ATM card, and password to a member of a fraud group in exchange for 10,000 Philippine pesos. The group used the account to receive fraudulent transfers from three victims in November 2024, with amounts ranging between NT$22,000 and NT$50,000, totaling NT$192,000. The money was quickly withdrawn, leaving the victims unable to recover their losses.
Authorities found that Xiaoli knowingly allowed her account to be used as a tool for fraud and money laundering. The court emphasized that her actions not only caused financial damage but also made it harder for investigators to trace the real culprits behind the scheme. Since she failed to provide any compensation to the victims, the court imposed a four-month prison term and a fine of NT$10,000 under the Anti-Money Laundering Act. After serving her sentence, Xiaoli will be deported.
The court also rejected her appeal for bail, citing a high risk of flight. Judges noted that she had already left Taiwan and was only caught during transit, further reinforcing the decision to keep her in detention until the sentence is carried out.
