Updated: 2026-09-28 8:14 AM [Epoch Times, September 27, 2026] (Epoch Times reporter Lai Wenru, Taipei, Taiwan) Recently, Taiwanese police and prosecutors investigated a human trafficking case, discovering that a criminal group recruited three minors, using high-paying jobs and other pretexts to find victims. Experts believe that the relatively low criminal liability for juvenile delinquency, coupled with the application of the “Juvenile Cases Handling Act,” may lead criminal groups to target minors. Juvenile delinquency cannot be solely addressed through education and protection. First-time offenders can be given a chance to reform through counseling, but repeat offenders or those with more serious offenses should still be dealt with according to the law, achieving a balance between education and punishment.
In early September, the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office investigated a human trafficking case, discovering that a criminal group recruited three minors, using them as frontline recruiters to post information about high-paying jobs and other pretexts on social media platforms to find victims. Three people were lured to a residence in Zhongli District, Taoyuan City, and imprisoned. The group is suspected of attempting to send them to China for organ harvesting for profit. Prosecutors have indicted seven adults involved, and three juveniles have been transferred to juvenile court for trial.
Regarding why criminal groups target minors as recruiters, Wang Po-Chi, an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Ming Chuan University, analyzed for *The Epoch Times* that minors have relatively low criminal penalties, and the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act makes them easy targets for criminal groups. Criminal groups may also use tactics such as “You are a minor, so the punishment will probably be lower” to lower the guard of juveniles, and use salaries as an incentive to attract them to join.
Peer relationships among teenagers are also a channel that criminal groups may exploit. Wang Po-Chi stated that it is easier for young people to build trust with other young people. If the victims are also young, they may lower their guard due to friendship, making it easier for criminal groups to approach and recruit them.
Social media platforms have further lowered the barrier for criminal groups to find and contact people. With the rise of social media, criminal groups have found it much easier to locate and establish connections, potentially expanding recruitment through friends, friends of friends, and even online communities.
Fraud Crime Patterns Evolve: Experts Reveal the “A + B” Trend
From a criminal pattern perspective, Wang Po-Chi believes that fraud groups are constantly adjusting their methods. Previously separate criminal activities may gradually combine. For example, there have been cases where members of fraud groups were also involved in drug trafficking, saying things like, “I’m a driver for the fraud group today, and I’m hiring you for a side job,” forming an “A + B” model that combines different types of crime.
Wang Po-Chi mentioned that some criminals even use their past criminal experiences as a “resume,” boasting about their involvement in fraud groups on social media platforms, potentially packaging criminal experience as a qualification. Whether a juvenile goes further into crime is related to peer influence, family, school education, and the social environment. The rehabilitation treatment after a crime can also affect whether they re-offend.
The risk of teenagers falling victim to fraud is rising; victims may become tools of crime.
Statistics from the National Police Agency of the Ministry of the Interior show that the number of children, teenagers, and youths under the age of 24 who are victims of fraud increased from 10,105 in 2022 to 24,445 in 2024. In 2023, fraud cases accounted for 31.53% of all cases involving youth suspects, while fraud cases accounted for 20.30% of all cases involving juvenile suspects. Furthermore, in juvenile fraud cases investigated from September to December 2024, some teenagers were recruited as money mules, indicating that teenagers may not only become victims but also be recruited by criminal groups.
Wang Po-Chi warns, “Don’t think you won’t encounter fraud groups; you just haven’t encountered a suitable script yet.” Criminal groups may design scripts targeting different age groups, such as game points or limited-edition items, to increase the chances of teenagers being scammed. Some teenagers may first become victims and then be recruited by criminal groups to become perpetrators, or even simultaneously hold both identities. Regarding the handling of juvenile delinquency, Wang Boqi advocates for a “combination of education and punishment.” First-time offenders should still be given opportunities for reform through education, counseling, and appropriate treatment. However, if they have multiple prior offenses, education alone is insufficient; the severity of the crime and the circumstances of recidivism must be considered in accordance with the law.
He believes that juvenile justice cannot rely solely on “education through love,” nor should it be lenient simply because someone is a minor. For juveniles who still have a chance to reform, intervention can be provided through family, school, and the judicial system. For repeat offenders, they should face corresponding legal responsibility, ensuring that “those who need education are educated, and those who need punishment are punished.”