Updated Rules checked 2026-10-17
Your exchange account clearly shows a profit, but when you hit withdraw you’re told to pay “tax,” a “deposit,” an “unfreeze fee” or a “handling fee” first. That alone is close to proof of a scam. Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB, 刑事警察局) states that a legitimate investment channel would never charge extra under labels like unfreeze fees or deposits. Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC, 金管會) also names a common method: scammers set up a fake exchange, then wait until people try to withdraw and cite anti-money-laundering or tax rules to demand a deposit.
These cases usually follow a fixed script. Someone you met on a dating app or social media teaches you to buy USDT on a regulated exchange (such as Binance or OKX, which many people search for), then move it to the “investment platform” they give you. Once the money leaves the regulated exchange, it is no longer in your hands, and the profit on the platform is just a number on a screen. Another risk people tend to overlook is in C2C (P2P) trading: if you receive a transfer from an unknown source, your bank account may be listed as an alert account.
Below, in order: how a fake platform blocks withdrawals, the red flags of romance investment scams, what happens if you receive stolen money in a C2C trade, how to confirm an exchange’s official website, and what to do after you’ve been scammed.
Key points: The CIB breaks the romance investment scam into 7 steps. At step 6, “withdrawal blocked,” the scammers stall the withdrawal by citing handling fees, tax, a deposit or an unlock fee. In the 165 Anti-Fraud Dashboard (165 打詐儀錶板) statistics for June 2026, “fake investment” and “fake romance (investment fraud)” accounted for 32% and 22% of fraud losses, more than half combined. OKX states that if you’re asked to pay “tax,” “fees” or a “verification fee” to get your funds back, that money goes straight into the scammer’s pocket and the withdrawal will never be released. Binance’s and OKX’s P2P rules both require the name on the paying account to match the verified name on the exchange, and third-party payments are not accepted. Once a bank account is listed as an alert account, all of its transaction functions are suspended; the alert lasts 2 years and can be extended once by 1 year.
The information below was checked against official pages on 2026-10-17 (fact-check date) and is provided for reference.
The exchange won’t let me withdraw until I pay tax or a deposit. Is it a scam?
Yes. This is the point where official sources agree most clearly. Taiwan’s police, the FSC, the US FBI and the exchanges’ own help pages all say so:
| Source | Official statement (summary) |
|---|---|
| CIB (2026-09-20) | A legitimate securities firm or investment channel would never ask you to arrange a private “cash handover” over LINE or transfer money to a personal account, let alone charge extra under labels like unfreeze fees or deposits |
| CIB (2026-02-21) | If a withdrawal requires paying handling fees, tax, a deposit or similar, stop immediately and verify; don’t keep adding money just because you’ve already put money in |
| FSC Moneywise site (updated 2025-04-21) | A common method is setting up a fake exchange; when people withdraw their investment, the scammers cite anti-money-laundering or tax regulations to demand a deposit |
| OKX common scam tactics (updated 2026-09-07) | You’re asked to pay “tax,” “fees” or a “verification fee” to get your funds back; this money goes straight into the scammer’s pocket, and the withdrawal is never released |
| FBI IC3 (2023-03-14) | When victims try to withdraw, they’re told they must first pay fees or taxes; even after paying, they still can’t get their money back |
| HTX anti-fraud announcement (2025-10-16) | Appeals against withdrawal restrictions go only through the in-app Help Center or the official support email and are completely free; anyone who charges fees outside these channels or impersonates staff is a scammer |
A case the CIB published on 2026-09-20 shows how this “chain of fees” plays out. A woman of about 60 saw a social media ad offering a “free entrepreneur’s autobiography,” was pulled into an investment group, downloaded a designated app and watched her balance keep rising. When she tried to withdraw, she was first told to “pay 10% income tax,” then “a 15% unfreeze fee because the details were filled in wrong,” then “an extra 5% because counterfeit money was involved.” She took a loan from a loan shark to pay the last item, a “full withdrawal agreement fee,” and then customer service went silent. In total she lost more than TWD 7,680,000 (CIB announcement).
I added up those three items: 10% + 15% + 5% = 30%. If each is calculated on the displayed balance, a screen showing TWD 1,000,000 means another TWD 300,000 just for those three, and after paying there is yet another fee. The bigger the number on screen, the more the scammers can ask for, which is why a fake platform is happy to keep showing “profits.”
How does a fake exchange withdrawal scam work?
A CIB announcement on 2026-02-21 breaks romance-plus-investment scams into 7 steps (CIB announcement). I’ve put the red flag for each step in the last column. If you see any of them, stop:
| Step | What the scammers do | The red flag you can see |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Make contact and build trust | Approach you through social media, dating apps or investment groups, and get close by showing concern, chatting or swapping investment tips | An online contact you’ve never met brings up investing on their own |
| 2. Bring up investing | Stress “steady profits,” “low risk,” “this isn’t crypto speculation,” “USDT is very stable” | Claims of guaranteed profits or no chance of losing |
| 3. Tell you to buy crypto | Have you buy USDT on a crypto exchange and even walk you through it | Someone guides you step by step through opening an account and buying coins |
| 4. Move it to a designated wallet or platform | Citing “on-chain operations” or “platform investing,” have you send the coins to a designated wallet or website | The withdrawal address is not your own address at another official exchange |
| 5. Paper profits, push to add more | The platform shows profit figures and encourages you to add more | Small early withdrawals go smoothly, then you’re encouraged to put in larger amounts |
| 6. Withdrawal blocked | Stall the withdrawal by citing handling fees, tax, a deposit or an unlock fee | You have to pay before you can withdraw |
| 7. Keep squeezing or disappear | Demand more transfers; when no more money comes, shut the site down and cut contact | Customer service and the “teacher” suddenly stop reading or replying |
The small withdrawals in step 5 are what lower people’s guard the most. In a case from the same announcement, the victim’s first withdrawal request succeeded, so she took out a TWD 500,000 personal loan to add more. Only on the second withdrawal request was she told to pay a deposit first; in total she put in more than TWD 7,000,000. Another CIB case from 2026-01-04 followed the same pattern: the victim was allowed to deposit TWD 10,000 and withdraw TWD 15,000, and in the end deposited TWD 3,200,000 that could not be withdrawn (CIB announcement). A successful small withdrawal doesn’t prove a platform is real.
In both cases, the victims first bought USDT on a regulated exchange, then sent it to a website the scammers gave them. Control of the money was lost the moment it was sent out, so what you really need to check is “where am I sending these coins?” Fake platforms also often imitate exchange brands in their URLs and apps; for how to spot them, see 5 types of exchange scams.
Someone from a dating app wants you to invest in crypto. How can you tell?
This kind of scam is often called “pig butchering.” OKX explains that these scams all start the same way: a stranger builds a relationship with you first, then asks for money. They reach out on social media, dating apps or messaging apps, take time to earn your trust, then introduce an investment opportunity or a well-paid “task-based job.” Early on they let you earn a little or give you a bit of capital, and in the end they ask you to pay tax, fees or a verification fee to get your funds back. OKX also states that if someone you’ve never met in person tells you to move funds on OKX or any platform, you should stop immediately and contact official OKX support (OKX common scam tactics).
Taiwan’s figures show that individual losses in these scams are especially large. On the 165 Anti-Fraud Dashboard, nationwide fraud losses in June 2026 were just over TWD 4,704,170,000. By number of cases, “fake romance (investment fraud)” made up 8% and “fake investment” 11%, but by amount lost, the two made up 22% and 32% (CIB announcement, 2026-07-20). Working backward from those two percentages, I get about TWD 1,505,000,000 for fake investment and about TWD 1,035,000,000 for fake romance investment, about TWD 2,540,000,000 combined. The percentages are rounded whole numbers, so this is only an estimate. In September 2026, police received 10,775 telecom and online fraud reports with losses of just over TWD 3,930,000,000, and the CIB noted that “fake investment” and “fake romance investment” are still among the most frequent types (CIB announcement, 2026-10-14). Averaging those two numbers, each telecom or online fraud case comes to about TWD 365,000.
Rules you can check against directly:
- Investing through LINE: The CIB states that any investment that has you add someone on LINE is a scam (CIB: fake investment).
- Talking money before you’ve met: The CIB advises that when an online contact you’ve never met asks you to send money, you should ask for a video call to confirm who they are and not hand over money lightly (CIB: fake romance).
- Asking to borrow your account or for your ATM card: Newer methods don’t always ask you to invest. Instead, saying they “want to send you living expenses,” they ask for several bank accounts and for you to mail them your ATM cards, and your accounts end up as money-laundering tools (CIB announcement, 2026-05-16).
- Crypto dealers of unknown origin: The CIB warns not to trust crypto dealers of unknown origin; any request to buy crypto first and send it to a designated wallet or platform carries a high risk of fraud.
Copy trading and “signal leaders” are often wrapped in the same pitch. Real copy trading happens inside the exchange’s own app, and the funds stay in your own account. For how to check a lead trader, see how to check for copy trading scams.
How is a real exchange restricting withdrawals different from a fake platform blocking them?
Regulated exchanges restrict withdrawals too, for example when identity verification isn’t complete, during a risk-control review, or when a judicial authority orders a freeze. The difference is how it’s handled: a real exchange uses an official appeal process and won’t tell you to send money first.
| Comparison | Regulated exchange | Fake platform |
|---|---|---|
| URL and app | The exchange’s official domain, which you can check with the official verification tool | Not on the official domain list; often sent in a private message by an online contact or “customer service” |
| Withdrawal fees | Listed directly on the withdrawal page and deducted from your account (for each exchange’s USDT fees, see USDT withdrawal fee comparison) | You have to send a separate payment or transfer USDT to some address to “unlock” it |
| Reasons for restricting withdrawals | Identity verification, risk control, judicial freeze; Binance’s and OKX’s P2P rules state that accounts can be frozen on a written request from a judicial authority | Income tax, deposit, unfreeze fee, insufficient credit score, turnover requirement not met, abnormal IP |
| Appeal channel | Customer support inside the official app or website; HTX states that appeals are completely free | “Customer service” or a “mentor” on LINE or Telegram |
| How they contact you | OKX states that official support contacts you only through in-app voice calls, and never reaches out first by phone call, text message or external platforms | Messages you first, rushes you, and pressures you with “miss this and you’ll never get it back” |
The three reasons “turnover requirement not met, pay a deposit, abnormal IP” come from the CIB’s description of fake investment methods (CIB: fake investment). “Insufficient credit score, pay a sum first” is a withdrawal-rejection reason listed by OKX. When you see these words, stop paying. If a withdrawal is rejected on your own official exchange account, appeal through customer support in the official app; the relevant terms are covered in exchange deposit and withdrawal terms.
Why can C2C/P2P USDT trades bring in stolen money and get your bank account frozen?
C2C (which exchanges call P2P) means users trade directly with each other: the buyer pays New Taiwan dollars by bank transfer, and the seller releases the coins on the exchange. The exchange only holds the seller’s coins in escrow; the fiat transfer happens outside the exchange. OKX spells this out: after an order is placed, it holds only the seller’s crypto in escrow, and the buyer’s payment is completed off the platform, so OKX does not hold or freeze that money (OKX anti-fraud guide, updated 2026-09-15).
The risk sits in that fiat transfer. The CIB describes a “three-party scam”: the scammer poses as a buyer to get a normal seller’s bank account details, while posing as a seller to trick a real buyer into sending money to that account. The seller sees the money arrive and delivers the goods or issues a refund, and the account may then be reported as an alert account (CIB announcement, 2026-05-14). Applied to P2P, the payer and the person who placed the order on the exchange are not the same person, and the money you receive may come from another fraud victim.
That’s why the P2P rules of all three exchanges say “the payer’s name must match the verified name”:
| Rule | Binance | OKX | Bybit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payer name | Must be the same as the name verified on Binance | The payment account holder’s name must match the name registered on OKX; non-real-name payment methods are not supported | The bank account name must match the name registered on Bybit; if it doesn’t, the advertiser may cancel the order and refund |
| Third-party payments | Payments must not be made to third-party accounts; if a seller provides third-party payee details, the seller bears the loss in a dispute | Third-party payments are not accepted | Don’t use or accept payments from third-party accounts |
| Off-platform communication | No crypto trades should be done through third-party channels | The platform is not responsible for off-platform trades | Use only the P2P order chat; Telegram and WhatsApp are not safe |
| When to release coins | Complete the order only after confirming the buyer’s full payment has arrived | If coins haven’t been released, you can file a self-service appeal within 72 hours of placing the order | Release coins only after confirming the payment has arrived |
| Freezes and judicial requests | Accounts can be frozen on a written request from a judicial authority | Accounts can be frozen on a written request from a judicial authority; receiving funds of unknown origin can lead to related features being permanently disabled | Not stated on the official page |
| Source | Binance P2P trading policy (updated 2026-05-12) | OKX P2P user agreement (updated 2026-08-19) | Bybit P2P payment guide (updated 2026-01-09), Bybit P2P dispute guide (updated 2026-05-03) |
If an account really is listed as an alert account, the impact is bigger than most people expect. Under Taiwan’s Regulations Governing Deposit Accounts and Suspicious or Unusual Transactions (存款帳戶及其疑似不法或顯屬異常交易管理辦法, amended 2026-08-31):
| Status | Impact | Duration or release |
|---|---|---|
| Alert account (Article 5) | All transaction functions of the account are suspended, and incoming transfers are returned to the sending bank | Expires automatically 2 years after the report; the original reporting agency can extend it once by 1 year, for a maximum of 3 years (Article 9) |
| Derivative controlled account (Articles 3 and 5) | The alert account holder’s deposit accounts at other banks have electronic functions such as ATM cards and online transfers suspended; for over-the-counter transactions you may be asked to show they are reasonable | Released once the bank confirms the suspected illegal circumstances no longer exist (Article 10) |
In other words, when one account is flagged, your accounts at other banks are restricted too. In a CIB case from 2026-08-08, a person who handed online banking login details to a “loan agent” lost no money directly, yet every financial account in their name was listed as an alert account or derivative controlled account, which paralyzed their day-to-day banking (CIB announcement).
A few ways to lower the risk:
- Before accepting a payment, check the payer’s name against the verified name on the P2P order. If they don’t match, cancel and refund, and don’t accept excuses like “I’m paying from a family member’s or friend’s account.”
- Go by what has actually arrived in your online banking, not a transfer screenshot from the other side; release coins only after confirming the money has arrived.
- Keep the conversation in the exchange’s order chat. If the other person asks to switch to LINE, Telegram or a private in-person handover, don’t continue.
- Don’t take jobs like “buy crypto on someone’s behalf” or “receive payments and then send coins.” That is exactly how your account gets used as a middleman.
What happens if you lend out your account or receive money for someone?
In its 2026-05-16 announcement, the CIB states that providing an account or handing over a bank card for someone else to use may constitute aiding fraud, aiding money laundering or similar offenses. Under Article 22 of Taiwan’s Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), handing an account to someone else without a legitimate reason results in a police “warning”: for 5 years from the date of the decision you cannot open new accounts, the daily transfer and withdrawal limit on existing accounts drops to TWD 10,000, and you cannot use online banking or electronic payments. Serious cases (such as providing 3 or more accounts) can be punished by up to 3 years in prison, short-term detention, and/or a fine of up to TWD 1,000,000 (CIB announcement).
The same goes for exchange accounts: don’t lend them out, and don’t give your login, password or verification codes to anyone. An exchange account is tied to your identity verification; for the detailed process, see each exchange’s identity verification guide, such as Binance identity verification and OKX identity verification.
How do I confirm an exchange’s official website?
The most reliable way is to use the exchange’s own verification tool. With Binance Verify you can enter a URL, email address, phone number, Telegram or social media account to confirm whether it’s an official source; Binance also notes that the tool only helps confirm identity and does not authorize any action (Binance Verify). Before logging in, make sure the domain is binance.com and the URL starts with https:// (Binance guide to spoofed URLs).
| Exchange | Official domain | Official verification tool |
|---|---|---|
| Binance | binance.com | Binance Verify |
| OKX | okx.com | Official channel verification |
| Bybit | bybit.com | Authenticity Check |
| Bitget | bitget.com | Official verification |
| MEXC | mexc.com | MEXC Verify |
Official domains, app developer names and verification tools for other exchanges are in the 13-exchange table at the end of exchange scam types. For a “platform” that isn’t on any exchange list, you can use the scam URL lookup on the 165 Anti-Fraud Dashboard, or search for fake investment websites and scam LINE IDs on the 165 anti-fraud website (165 全民防騙網).
One more check people often skip: who owns the address you’re about to withdraw to? If you’re sending to your own account at another exchange, copy the address from the deposit page in that exchange’s app. If an online contact or “customer service” sent you the address, stop first.
I’ve been scammed or my account was flagged. What now?
- Stop paying: Don’t pay any more tax, deposits, unfreeze fees or “full withdrawal agreement fees.” The CIB warns not to keep adding money just because you’ve already put money in.
- Keep evidence: Chat logs, the other person’s accounts, the platform URL, transfer times and amounts, receiving addresses and transaction hashes (TXIDs), remittance records and screenshots of the transaction pages.
- Report it: Call Taiwan’s 165 anti-fraud hotline (165 反詐騙諮詢專線) or 110, or verify and report on the 165 anti-fraud website.
- Secure your account: In the official app, change your password, reset two-factor authentication, and delete any API keys and login devices you don’t recognize.
- Contact the exchange: Use only customer support inside the official app or website; HTX states that appeals against withdrawal restrictions are completely free.
- If your account is flagged as an alert account: The CIB explains that you can download the public application form for lifting an alert account and file it in person at a police agency (CIB announcement); if you dispute the alert, Article 9 of the regulations has the account holder take it up with the original reporting agency.
- Don’t hire anyone to “recover” funds: People claiming to be lawyers, hackers or blockchain tracing analysts who can get your money back are usually running a second scam; see the cases in exchange scam types.
FAQ
The exchange won’t process my withdrawal and says I have to pay tax first. Is that real?
No, this is a classic fake-platform line. The CIB states that a legitimate investment channel would never charge extra under labels like unfreeze fees or deposits, and the FSC names “citing anti-money-laundering or tax regulations to demand a deposit” as a common fake-exchange method. The profit in your account is just a number on the platform’s screen. After you pay, there is usually another charge. Stop paying immediately and call 165.
What is the “OKX romance scam”? Is OKX the one scamming people?
What people online call the “OKX romance scam” is scammers gaining trust through dating or social media, then telling victims to buy coins on an exchange and send them to a fake platform. It is not OKX itself scamming people. OKX states that if someone you’ve never met tells you to move funds on OKX or any platform, you should stop immediately and contact official OKX support.
Can I get scammed buying crypto through Binance C2C?
There is risk, mainly receiving stolen money from a third party or releasing coins before the money arrives. Binance’s P2P rules require the payer’s name to match the verified name on Binance and prohibit payments to third-party accounts. Go by what has actually arrived in your online banking, release coins only after the full amount is in, and keep the conversation in the order chat.
I sold USDT through C2C and received scam money. What happens to my bank account?
The account may be reported as an alert account, with all transaction functions suspended, and your accounts at other banks also become derivative controlled accounts with electronic transaction functions suspended. The alert lasts 2 years and can be extended once by 1 year. The CIB explains that if your account is flagged, you should keep chat logs, remittance records and similar documents, and you can download the public application form for lifting an alert account and file it in person at a police agency.
Is there a list of scam exchanges I can check?
You can check 165’s public data: the 165 anti-fraud website and the “165防騙宣導” official LINE account let you look up scam LINE IDs and fake investment websites, and the 165 Anti-Fraud Dashboard has a scam URL lookup. For regulated exchanges, use each exchange’s official verification tool to check URLs and support accounts. This site does not maintain a scam list and will not list any regulated exchange as a scam.
The fake platform let me withdraw at first. Does that mean it’s real?
No. In cases published by the CIB, one victim added more money after a successful first withdrawal and was only asked to pay first on the second one; in another, the victim was allowed to deposit TWD 10,000 and withdraw TWD 15,000, then deposited TWD 3,200,000 and couldn’t get it out. Small withdrawals are one of the steps used to win trust.
Can I get scammed USDT back?
It’s hard, and it has to go through the legal process. Binance notes that blockchain transactions cannot be reversed. Report it to 165 or 110 right away so the police have a chance to alert the relevant institutions to block the funds. Paid “recovery services” are usually a second scam.
An online contact asked me to provide a bank account to receive money for them. Is that OK?
No. The CIB explains that providing an account for someone else to use may constitute aiding fraud, aiding money laundering or similar offenses. Handing over an account without a legitimate reason gets you a warning: no new accounts for 5 years, and the daily transfer and withdrawal limit on existing accounts drops to TWD 10,000. Serious cases, such as providing 3 or more accounts, can be punished by up to 3 years in prison.
To learn more about spotting fake websites, fake support and fake apps, see 5 types of exchange scams; scams around referral codes and rebates are covered in rebate scam warning signs. For exchanges’ security records and reserve data, see exchange security records and proof of reserves comparison. To check fees and arrival rules before withdrawing, see USDT withdrawal fee comparison and what an exchange UID is. Legitimate referral codes always stay on the exchange’s official domain; the list is in exchange referral codes roundup.