Taipei, February 8 — Authorities are warning online sellers and the public that selling or renting e-commerce accounts linked to bank accounts can result in serious legal consequences under Taiwan’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations.
Under the amended AML Act of 2024, transferring or leasing online shopping accounts and their linked bank accounts without legitimate reasons—outside normal commercial, financial, or family-trust arrangements—can lead to both criminal and administrative penalties. Criminal sanctions include imprisonment of up to three years, detention, or fines of up to NT$1 million. Administratively, police can issue a warning notice, and all the individual’s bank accounts will face restrictions or even closure for a five-year period.
The law also applies to virtual currency and third-party payment accounts, including those linked to e-commerce platforms. Accounts under warning may face strict limitations: daily transfer caps of NT$10,000, restrictions on online banking, enhanced identity verification for over-the-counter transactions, and in severe cases, permanent account closure.
A woman who received such a warning shared her frustration, noting that daily transfer limits make it difficult to pay bills online, forcing her to withdraw cash in person—a major inconvenience.
Police stress that the consequences are severe and urge the public not to be tempted by account leasing schemes, financial flow “optimization,” corporate tax adjustments, or loan handling scams. Handing over bank accounts to others can trigger significant penalties and long-term restrictions.
Authorities remind citizens: safeguarding your accounts is essential, and attempts to bypass AML regulations can have lasting financial and legal repercussions.