Taipei, Oct. 27 (CNA) An investigation is underway to track down a suspect who tricked approximately 90 students into signing loan installment payment plans, leaving them in debt to a local financing company, according to Taichung police on Friday.
Six students from Feng Chia University and two students from Tunghai University have filed reports with police about being tricked into signing the contracts and owing NT$50,000-NT$100,000 (US$1,540-US$3,080) to the financing company.
According to the students, a self-identified telecommunications salesman offered to give them NT$5,000 to sign the contracts and provide their personal details and a further NT$3,000 for persuading friends or classmates to do the same.
It was only later the students discovered the documents they signed were for a loan from a financing company when they received payment notices, police said.
In a statement, Feng Chia University confirmed it has so far received reports from 81 students about the scam, the earliest on Oct. 10.
Police said they are working with the schools and prosecutors to track down the suspect and called on other student-victims to come forward to provide evidence.
The Ministry of Education issued a statement later in the day that a total of 89 students from nine universities in central Taiwan have been identified as victims of the fraud.
