Seven individuals, including Terry Gou, are indicted for buying and selling personal data in the recall campaign, using USDT as an intermediary.

Due to a criminal group using cryptocurrency to buy and sell personal information last year, seven individuals have been indicted by the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office following a petition signed by Terry Gou, founder of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. Cryptocurrency has once again become an example of intermediary selection. Recently, legislative candidate Ma Chih-wei, who accepted bribes in USDT, was also sentenced under the National Security Law.

Cracking Down on Election Petition Black Market: Taiwan Prosecutors Expose Identity Trading Scandal

During Foxconn founder Terry Gou's presidential campaign last year, a woman surnamed Hsu who operated a group buying business in Cambodia, along with her boyfriend surnamed Yu, were revealed to be involved in a scandal of buying and selling personal information to produce petition books. According to the investigation by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, the two used social media and cryptocurrencies for illegal transactions, involving amounts reaching tens of thousands of dollars.

USDT Used as Payment Intermediary, Purchasing Personal Information via Telegram

Hsu and Yu created a Telegram group and posted messages to acquire identity information to attract suppliers, including a man surnamed Chen who obtained personal information of the public through unknown channels. This personal information was later used to create petition books, with the purpose of helping Terry Gou successfully register for the election, and the transaction price for each petition book was 200 New Taiwan Dollars.

According to the investigation, Yu was instructed by two men with the aliases "CK" and "Bao" on Telegram to increase the number of petition signatures for candidate Terry Gou.

Yu then transferred approximately 480,000 New Taiwan Dollars worth of Tether (USDT) to Hsu, who established a group to recruit and purchase personal information.

Chen Sells Multiple Shopee Shop Personal Information, Receives USDT Rewards

After seeing the messages about buying identity information, Chen provided 49 photos of ID cards used for certification in Shopee shops to Hsu for making petition books; Hsu then paid Chen approximately 8,370 USDT worth in market value.

In 2023, Shopee Market was ranked as the number one high-risk market by the Criminal Investigation Bureau

Prosecutors File Charges Against Seven Individuals Under Election and Recall Law

Prosecutors have charged the 7 individuals involved with violating the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act. The two individuals identified as "CK" and "Bao" who were allegedly the masterminds behind the operation, their identities and whereabouts remain unknown and are still under investigation.

Independent Legislative Candidate Ma Chih-wei Prosecuted for Accepting Bribes in USDT under National Security Law

Independent candidate Ma Chih-wei is accused of accepting funds from the Chinese Communist Party and providing government agency information. The Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office has charged her with violating the National Security Law, recommending a sentence of 3 years and 8 months in prison and a fine of 2 million New Taiwan Dollars. Ma is accused of repeatedly traveling to mainland China to accept funding, including US dollars and cryptocurrencies, totaling 1.06 million New Taiwan Dollars for election expenses. The court, concerned that she might flee or destroy evidence, decided to continue her detention incommunicado for 3 months.

The first legislative candidate in Taiwan suspected of receiving Chinese funds in USDT, Ma Chih-wei, is detained

Cryptocurrency Bribery in Five Cases! Taiwan Ministry of Justice prosecutors likened the "Chinese cigarette" to secrecy, warning that smart contract bribery may emerge in the 2024 election