TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — New Taipei is calling for stronger checks on property deals after learning from Japan’s experience with real estate fraud, CNA reported Wednesday.
The city’s Land Administration Department said fraud groups have used fake documents and false identities to target property owners. It said New Taipei wants stronger cooperation across agencies and more identity checks during key property procedures.
Land Administration Department Commissioner Wang Li-kuo (汪禮國) told a city meeting that New Taipei has already built a warning system for land registration changes. The system has stopped 23 fraud cases and helped prevent losses of more than NT$120 million (US$3.7 million), he said.
The department said 8,816 properties owned by older people living alone have also been listed for extra monitoring. Officials said these homeowners can face higher risks because fraud groups may try to trick them into signing papers or changing property records.
New Taipei officials visited Japan in May to study real estate transaction safety, property loans, and registration systems. The department said Japan’s experience could help Taiwan improve checks to confirm a person’s identity and whether they are acting voluntarily in property transfers, per CTS News.
The city said Taiwan could consider using digital ID certificates on mobile phones with stronger identity checks for major property changes. It said this could reduce the risk of people pretending to be owners or using fake documents.
The department also said Taiwan’s paper property ownership certificates may need to be reviewed in the future. It said property information can already be checked through updated registration records, while paper certificates may be forged or misused.
For high-risk cases, New Taipei has worked with police, tax offices, social welfare agencies, banks, land agents, and real estate brokers. The city said it will ask the central government to expand similar fraud prevention measures across Taiwan.
AloJapan.com