A man who handed over his bank account credentials to a stranger in exchange for NT$6,000 has been ordered by a court to compensate a victim NT$4.8 million after the account was used in an investment scam. The case shows how account lending can lead to both criminal punishment and full civil liability.
Account credentials were used to receive scam proceeds
According to the report, the man, surnamed Zhou, sent his bank account number and password through LINE in November of the 113th year of the ROC calendar to a stranger using the nickname “HR Sai Sai.” He received what was described as a signing bonus of NT$6,000.
The account was then used by a fraud ring. The group allegedly placed stock investment advertisements on Facebook, where a woman surnamed Lin was drawn in and persuaded by people posing as a wealth manager and investment adviser to buy so-called hot stocks. She transferred NT$2 million, NT$2 million, and NT$800,000 into Zhou’s account, for a total of NT$4.8 million, and the money was quickly moved out.
Lin later tried to withdraw her supposed profits but was repeatedly refused. She then realized she had been scammed and reported the case to police.
Court rejected claim that he was also deceived
In court, Zhou argued that he had not intentionally defrauded the victim and said he had also been tricked into providing the account. He opposed Lin’s damages claim and asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit. The Changhua District Court did not accept that argument.
The court found that by providing a financial account for use by a fraud group, Zhou had committed assisting fraud and assisting money laundering. On the criminal side, he was sentenced to five months in prison and fined NT$30,000.
Full civil liability extended to the account provider
The civil ruling carried a much larger cost. Under Civil Code provisions treating instigators and helpers as joint actors, the court held that Zhou should bear joint and several liability with the fraud ring. He was ordered to compensate Lin for the full NT$4.8 million she lost. The case can still be appealed.
The report also explained why courts often reject defenses based on lack of knowledge in nominee account cases. A normal person would not casually hand account access to a stranger, the risk of illegal use is broadly foreseeable, and accepting payment in return makes an ignorance defense harder to sustain.
Winning a judgment does not guarantee recovery
Even with a court order for full compensation, actual recovery may remain difficult if the defendant has limited assets or repayment can only be enforced over time. For victims in fraud cases, a favorable judgment and getting the money back are often separate issues.
The case serves as another warning that a bank account is not a harmless item to lend out. Once account details, passwords, or bank cards are passed to strangers, they can be pulled into a fraud money trail almost immediately.