As scam tactics continue to evolve, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) reminds the public to stay vigilant against scam attempts involving individuals impersonating the Administration on LINE or via email. The NHIA urges the public to delete any suspicious messages or links immediately and avoid clicking on them.

The NHIA has recently received reports of phishing messages on LINE from individuals impersonating the former "健保局" (National Health Insurance Bureau, NHIB). In these messages, scammers claimed that "an NHI card would be suspended immediately due to abnormal activity," urging recipients to click on suspicious links. The NHIA emphasizes that its official LINE account is named "健保署" (NHIA) and features a blue shield badge verified by LINE. The NHIA also does not proactively invite users to add its account as a friend.

For individuals who pay their NHI premiums through automatic bank or post office account transfers, the NHIA sends an email notification three business days before the monthly deduction date as a reminder for recipients to ensure sufficient funds are available in their accounts. These emails do not contain any attachments or links. Recipients can verify the authenticity of the emails by checking the NHIA's digital signature. Simply click on the sender information to confirm whether the email is "signed with a trusted certificate" or sent from "a verified email address."

The NHIA reminds the public that malicious links contained in suspicious messages may allow scammers to steal account information, passwords, and other personal data, and may even infect phones or computers with malware. When receiving suspicious messages, follow these principles: recognize official accounts, verify digital signatures, never click suspicious links, and verify information before taking action. If a suspicious link is clicked by mistake, individuals are advised to promptly seek assistance from IT professionals to check device security and minimize the risk of personal data breaches or financial losses.

If there are any questions regarding the authenticity of NHIA-related messages, please call the toll-free number 0800-030-598 or 4128-678 for verification. Mobile users may dial 02-4128-678.

▲Fig. 1: The official LINE account of the NHIA (健保署) features a blue shield badge verified by LINE.

▲Fig. 2: Screenshot of a scam message impersonating the former "National Health Insurance Bureau" (NHIB 健保局).