Investment Scams Flood Apple iCloud with Spam Messages

Over the past two years, as the stock market crashed, rebounded, and crashed again, Facebook groups, ads, LINE groups, and Discord servers have been flooded with spam-style messages from investment gurus and consultants. They try every trick to pull you into their group as a downline member.

Apple Inc.’s well-intentioned hidden email address design has, under the technological advances of scam syndicates, likewise been used to blast out spam.

In fact, a large portion of these scam emails and messages come from scam syndicates across the strait, so the same content appears not only from iCloud addresses but also from free email sources like 163 Mail, MSN’s Outlook, and Hotmail.

A message from an Apple iCloud address

That said, it’s not that Taiwanese people don’t scam other Taiwanese—it’s that most of them scam the other side, where there are fewer serious legal consequences. Especially with cross-strait relations frozen in recent years, the existing mutual legal assistance agreement has broken down to an unknown extent, making scam syndicates even more brazen.

Below are several scam messages the author recently collected on an iPhone. See if they feel familiar—you’ve probably received similar texts on your own phone at some point. Just immediately report them as spam!

Examples of Investment and Loan Spam Scam Content

Hi! I’m Ms. Hsieh from KGI Securities in partnership with Tai You Investment. I have something urgent to discuss with you. Please add me on Line

Hi, I’m Chang Ssu-yu from Yuanta. I have something urgent to discuss with you. Please add my LINE ID

What’s with suddenly disappearing for so long without contact? Good thing I saved your contact info, otherwise I couldn’t find you. Add me on Line, I have something to tell you hehe:

[Cathay United Bank] Dear customer, Cathay United Bank Securities in partnership with BNP Paribas Investment has launched an online wealth management service. Your dedicated financial advisor, Ms. Fan, is at your service. Please add my LINE:

[Ministry of Health and Welfare] Your subsidy amount of NT$20,000 has been approved. Click to register and claim (copy the URL and open it in your browser)

Hello, I’m Ms. Wang from the investment consulting firm you spoke with before. The company is leading members to position in cross-week golden stocks today. Add me to get my Line ID

Hello, I’m Ms. Chen from the investment consulting firm you spoke with before. The company is leading members to position in researched targets today. Add me to get: Line ID

Hello, I’m Ms. Tsai, the financial advisor who called you before. I have a hot tip to give you for free!

🔥[Cathay Loans] Reminder that you’ve qualified for a NT$500,000–1,000,000 loan. Interest is only NT$60 per month per NT$10,000. No pressure on monthly payments! No credit check, no guarantor, no handling fee. Approved and credited the same day! The No. 1 rated online lender for 21 years. Add a loan specialist for free consultation to improve your financial problems. Add loan specialist LINE🆔:

Hello, I’m from Dah Hwa International Investment Consulting, whom you contacted before. I have something to discuss. Please contact me at my ID

Hiring (online family side job) 1: Simple work / mobile operation / those with online shopping experience preferred 2: Flexible hours / can work anytime / no restrictions, doesn’t affect your main job 3: About NT$300 per hour / more work, more pay / settled immediately, never delayed 4: No deposit required / no ID held / no threshold limits / anyone with a phone can do it. New hires receive NT$1,000 after successfully joining / top 100 daily order takers enjoy bonuses. Welcome to DM +LINE to learn more

Hi! I’m Hsu Hsi-lei from KGI. I have something urgent to discuss with you. Please add my LINE ID:

What’s with suddenly disappearing for so long without contact? Good thing I saved your contact info, otherwise I couldn’t find you. Add me on Line, I have something to tell you hehe

Famous Taiwan stock figure Mr. Sun Wu-chung offers free customized rescue plans, recommends surging stocks, real-time online teaching. Don’t miss this opportunity. Add Line to claim

Hi! I’m Ms. Li from KGI Securities in partnership with Tai You Investment. I have something urgent to discuss with you. Please add me on Line

Insider scoop: More than half of the foreign capital buying into Taiwan stocks is actually Taiwanese foreign-capital accounts But retail investors stubbornly believe that when they see foreign capital heavily buying a certain stock, it must be those famous investment firms buying it, and they only buy heavily because they’re bullish on it~ But it might actually be bought by Taiwanese placing orders, possibly by proprietary trading or pension fund management money from investment trusts, or by the trading departments of the four major funds~ Because in Taiwan, any large capital all flows in and out through foreign-capital accounts~ So government shares are all fake foreign capital, and officials also lead short-selling as fake foreign capital, so government shares sell TSMC heavily to suppress and buy back low. Real investment trusts are people’s pensions all bought above 17,000 points, equivalent to retail investors! ~Only by discerning the movements of fake foreign capital can you use the advantage of retail investors to grab their cake. I won’t give you specific stock picks, but I can accurately give you the real-time movements of foreign capital. Add my ID: Call me Robin Hood

Did you delete me on Line? Good thing I saved your contact info, otherwise I couldn’t find you. Add me on line, I have something to tell you

Took me so long to find out. Your contact info from before is gone! Please add my Line: I have something to tell you